Signs
by iloveyoucalzona
Summary: *DON'T READ. INCOMPLETE. TAKING A LONG BREAK FROM THIS ONE.* Arizona didn't know how brown eyes became bored into her memory; it just kind of happened. Callie didn't know what drew her to Arizona so quickly; she didn't know how it happened, but she was grateful it did. Some things are just meant to be. Calzona AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, all! So, this is my first attempt at an alternate universe fic, so be patient with me!**

 **I've never had an interest in writing (or even reading) them until recently; I just didn't really get it. But then, I saw this post on Tumblr about how they're actually really cool because it's like, no matter what, these people are meant to be together.**

 **Like no matter what they're going through, what experiences they've had, and what they're pursuing, they're drawn to this other person no matter what.**

 **And that struck me as being kind of beautiful; beautiful enough that I proceeded to read five AUs and LOVED THEM, and then decided to write one myself.**

 **So, here's the beginning. More to come soon!**

* * *

It was only one p.m., but Arizona was already exhausted.

And rightfully so, considering she'd gone to bed late the night before and had a "Contemporary Art" class at 7 a.m., a "Painting From Observation" class at eleven, a "Color Studio" class at one, and finally, her "Painting from Life" class at four.

Arizona's high school friends had always written off art school as being "easy," but Arizona knew how wrong they were. As a third year Art and Design student— emphasis on Painting— she had little time for much else. While her classmates slept or went to parties, she worked on her brush strokes and technique.

She had always had a type-A personality and been competitive, and the art world was cut-throat. She was determined to be the best.

Still, the lack of sleep, coupled with her busy schedule and the cold, wet snow, was taking its toll on her, so she decided to stop in at her favorite coffeehouse for a hot mug of liquid energy.

She raced across the street and into the warm, buzzing cafe. Immediately, she felt her shoulders relax as she inhaled the scent of hot coffee and reveled in the sound of soft, ambient jazz music.

That was her favorite thing about New York: the way no one seemed to care and just did what made them happy. Arizona had never come across a cafe that would play jazz music back home in D.C.

She grabbed her hot latte from the barista and turned around to look for a table, only then realizing how crowded the place was. _Great_ , she thought. _There's not even anywhere to sit_.

As Arizona spun in a slow circle, gauging whether or not there was a spare table _anywhere_ , she was surprised by an amused voice behind her.

"You looking for somewhere to sit?" a friendly voice prompted.

Arizona quickly turned around, her blue eyes meeting big brown ones. _Pretty_ big brown ones. Wow.

The woman's smirk turned into a genuine smile, and she motioned to the chair across the table from her. "You can sit here. I don't mind."

Arizona searched the woman's face for any signs of concealed doubt and found only genuineness. She also found that the woman was really, really pretty.

Hesitantly, Arizona pulled out the chair and sat down. She offered the woman her brightest, most charming smile. "Thank you."

"Sure," the woman blushed. In an attempt to avoid any potential awkwardness, she ducked her head and returned to reading the papers in the binder splayed open in front of her.

Arizona sipped her coffee in silence and unabashedly stared at the woman across the table from her. Something about her fascinated Arizona, and she couldn't put her finger on what.

Finally, she cleared her throat. "What are you reading?"

The woman looked up, and Arizona's eyes stayed fixed on her face as she waited. There were those eyes again, looking right into her.

"Oh. Um, it's a script for 'The Sound of Music.' I have an audition tonight."

Arizona raised her eyebrows. "At Syracuse?"

"Yeah," the woman nodded, grinning. "You go there?"

Arizona shrugged coyly. "Maybe."

The woman laughed easily at the mysterious response, and Arizona couldn't help the warmth she felt at hearing the sound. Honey's sweet taste could be equated to the sweet sound of this woman's laugh. Something about it... about _her_.

Arizona wanted to make her laugh more. And something about the way the brunette gazed at her as her laugher died down suggested to Arizona that she might somehow be similarly enamored.

But, before Arizona could say anything else, the woman looked down at her watch and cursed, "Oh. I've gotta go to work. I'll see you around?" she asked hopefully as she stood up and gathered her things.

"You will," Arizona assured her. "I come here a lot."

"Good," the woman smiled shyly. She offered a little wave as she awkwardly bid farewell. "Well, bye."

Arizona shook her head at the brunette's actions. _Okay_ , she thought, _So she's really, really cute_. She returned the sentiment with her own weak wave. "I'll see you," she promised.

The woman pursed her lips, trying to suppress her smile. "See you," she quickly offered once more as she hurried away. She was going to be late.

As Arizona watched the woman's curvaceous retreating form hurry out the door, she internally cursed herself. She hadn't even gotten the woman's name.

Arizona really wanted to know her name.

* * *

A few minutes later, Arizona looked down at her phone and saw that it was 3:50. _Shit_. She needed to get to class, too.

Quickly, she got up and left the cafe, walking the two short blocks to her classroom as she tried to calm her nerves.

She knew it was silly to be nervous. This was her fifth semester, and she'd always done well in her classes. Still, from what she'd heard about the "Painting from Life" class, it was challenging.

But, even more than that, she was nervous because it involved nude models. The class was called "Painting from Life," but in reality, it should have been pinned, "Painting Naked People."

Arizona had never done that before—other than the few times she'd attempted to paint herself. And that was way, _way_ different.

As she walked into the studio, she immediately felt at home, though. There were about twenty blank easels facing the center of the room, where—presumably— the model would be standing or sitting on the sheet-draped couch.

And, god, _that smell_. Arizona couldn't think of smell she loved more. Turpentine, linseed oil, and drying paint.

She decided to put her stuff down by an easel near the back and get settled in while the rest of her classmates began filing in.

She knew she should have been thinking about her painting strategy— which body parts she'd tackle first, whether or not to shade, what to do about the background— but she found herself only thinking about that woman's big brown eyes.

Most people thought brown eyes were boring. Arizona herself had thought that until this afternoon. To her, they had always just all appeared to be the same dull color. She had thought they _were_ all the same dull color.

Now, she knew she couldn't have been more wrong. That woman's eyes were a deep, rich dark chocolate.

They were seemingly endless wells. They were magical.

Arizona shook her head. She needed to get a grip. She had only talked to this woman for a few minutes, and nothing was going to happen.

 _Come on, Arizona_ , she thought. _Soldier up. Maybe you'll see her again, and maybe you won't, but you need to relax._

But, god, she couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. Before she could stop herself, she had taken her acrylics and palette out of her bag. She started mixing red and black on her palette, trying to somehow recreate that rich brown color. It was her new favorite.

"Class hasn't even started yet and you're already mixing colors?" came a playful voice from beside her.

Arizona turned towards it, taking in the guy and his boyish smirk. She grinned. "I'm an overachiever."

"Me, too," he admitted. He held out a hand. "I'm Alex."

Arizona met it with her own. "Arizona. You ready for this?"

He shrugged, pulling his hand back. "As long as most of the models are hot chicks, yeah."

Arizona chuckled. "Agreed."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," Arizona widened her eyes conspiratorially.

Alex shook his head in amusement. "Right on."

As Arizona turned back to her respective easel, she noted an older man walk towards the middle of the classroom and clear his throat.

"Okay, simmer down everyone, simmer down." He waited for the talking to die down before he continued. "I'm Dr. Forster and this is the 'Painting from Life' class. We have eighteen long, hard, and fun weeks ahead of us, so I'm not going to waste time with petty introductions. You're here to paint, and I'm here to make sure you get better. I had one of our models come in today so that you all can get right into it. Draw what you see, and have fun with it." He signaled to someone on the opposite side of the room and then walked towards his small office in the next room.

Arizona turned to look towards the person he had signaled and felt her stomach drop.

It was _that_ woman. The one from the cafe, with the eyes.

And she was walking towards the center of the room, a few mere yards from Arizona.

Arizona couldn't take her eyes off her.

Once the woman reached her destination, she moved her hands under her shirt and lifted it over her head.

Arizona flinched in surprise, her knees hitting the bottom of her easel and knocking it onto the floor.

"Shit!" she squeaked, shifting to quickly set it back upright and pick up all her paintbrushes from the floor.

Everyone, including the woman, looked to see what had caused the clattering sound, and Alex snickered.

"Shut up," Arizona chided. She felt herself blush, and hesitantly, she looked up to meet amused brown eyes.

The now almost half naked woman gave her a slight smile as she removed her bra.

Seeing the woman's luscious breasts exposed made Arizona's face go from salmon pink to beet red, which just made the woman smile more.

Slowly, with her eyes still fixed on Arizona, the woman pulled down her jeans and underwear.

Arizona's breath hitched. The beautiful woman she'd met at the coffeehouse was currently naked— _naked_ — in the same room as her. And, _man_ , she looked good.

"Dude," Alex whispered, "The model's staring at you."

Arizona didn't even look at him. She only had eyes for one thing. Or, well, one person.

After a minute, the woman finally dropped Arizona's eyes and situated herself on the couch, lying on her side and propping her head up on her elbow. She grabbed her binder—presumably the one with "The Sound of Music" script— and begun to flip through it, staying otherwise still.

Slowly, Arizona looked around her, noticing that everyone had begun to paint. This was it.

The woman with the dark chocolate eyes was the model, and Arizona had to draw her.

She slowly shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and picked up her paintbrush.

If she was going to paint _this_ woman, she damn well better get started in order to do her justice.

So she did. She outlined the curve of her caramel shoulder, her jaw, the curve between her waist and hip, and the small swell of her stomach. She painted long fingers flipping through her script and painted her downcast eyes.

She shaded the shadow beneath the woman's body. She highlighted the way the sunlight hit her black hair, turning a few strands a rustic almost russet color.

After about an hour of silent painting, Arizona noted the woman's eyes lift to meet hers. Arizona gave her a shy smile, and the corners of the woman's lips lifted slightly in return.

As Arizona's heart took off in her chest, she hurried to paint the woman's perfect little smile. By the time she turned back, the brunette had turned back to her script.

Already, Arizona was enchanted.

And she was so focused on her canvas that she didn't notice everyone packing up until Alex smacked her on the back. She looked up at him, confused.

"See you Wednesday," he grinned. He nodded towards her painting. "Good job."

"Thanks," Arizona dimpled, and her newfound friend walked towards the door.

Arizona looked around her, everyone was either gone or soon to be. She looked at her painting and sighed. It was okay, but she hadn't quite finished the background. Her favorite part of the painting was definitely the colors, though. She had managed to mix the perfect shade of bronze for the woman's skin.

She glowed.

Slowly, Arizona packed up her things, wanting to be able to talk to the woman without the rest of her class eavesdropping. She didn't look up until she heard heeled boots clacking towards her.

Arizona looked up. There were those brown eyes again, fixed right on her. "Hey," she smiled at the now clothed woman. " _This_ is your job?" she asked incredulously.

The woman shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment. "It helps pay the bills."

"I'll bet it does," Arizona smirked.

The woman usually would have been put off by a comment like that, but the blonde's eyes were kind. "In my defense," she began, "I usually don't get naked for people the same afternoon I meet them."

Arizona laughed indulgently. "Good to know."

The woman shifted in order to get a clear view of Arizona's painting of her, and Arizona fought back the urge to tear it off the easel. As the woman thoughtfully appraised it, Arizona felt like _she_ was the naked one.

Arizona swallowed nervously. "It, um," she croaked nervously, "It doesn't quite do you justice."

The woman turned her face to meet Arizona's eyes, her own eyes widening. "You're kidding."

Arizona shook her head. "If I had gotten more time..."

"It's _amazing_ ," the woman insisted, her voice almost reverent.

Arizona blushed.

The woman turned back to admire Arizona's work. "I look really good."

"Yeah," Arizona breathed, admiring the woman, taking her in from head to toe. "You really do."

This time, it was the woman's turn to blush.

 _Oh, man_ , Arizona thought, staring at the woman's now pink, flawless face. _I might as well be a goner_.

Trying to regain a sense of control, the woman turned back to Arizona. "So, we've already run into each other twice today. I'm taking that as a sign that I'll see you again soon."

Arizona nodded, "I'll be at the cafe at the same time tomorrow, if you find yourself in the area."

The woman slowly smiled, and Arizona felt her heart flutter at the mere sight of it. "I'll make sure to."

"Good," Arizona offered her best smile in return.

After a minute of comfortable silence, the woman looked down at her watch. "Crap," her shoulders drooped. "My audition." She hitched her thumb towards the door. "It's now. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Arizona quickly conceded. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" the brunette smiled from across the room, turning her head back towards Arizona one last time and offering one last departing smile.

Arizona exhaled happily as she watched the woman go. The day had definitely taken a positive turn. Just this morning, she had been cursing the start of the Spring semester and preparing for a draining day. But, now, she felt more alert than ever.

And with her newfound alertness came the realization that, _again_ , she had forgotten to ask the woman for her name.

Luckily, she now knew of one person who would know.

Nervously, she ambled towards Dr. Forster's office. She paused in the doorway, and the old man looked up from the paperwork he had been flipping through. "Hello, there," he greeted her.

"Hi," she smiled. "I'm, um, Arizona Robbins. I'm really looking forward to taking your class this semester."

The man looked pleased. "Let's see what you worked on today."

Arizona's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You want to see my painting?"

Dr. Forster nodded patiently.

Quickly, she turned and walked back to her easel and grabbed the canvas. She stepped back into the office and handed it to him. He set it on the desk in front of him.

Arizona felt her stomach clench in anxiety. She had never been comfortable with teachers evaluating her work. Authority figures, in general, really. She was always scared she'd receive criticism and proceed to cry and embarrass herself.

She couldn't help it. Her dad was a Marine, and his stoic seriousness and criticism had given her some sort of authority complex she couldn't seem to shake— even now, as a twenty-year-old.

After several minutes of painful silence, Forster finally exclaimed, "Brilliant! Just brilliant!"

"What?" Arizona knit her eyebrows together. "Really?"

The professor looked at her. "Yes, _really_ ," the loopy man somehow managed to roll his eyes supportively. "Look at your brush strokes. See how soft they are?"

Arizona nodded.

"Rarely do I see strokes as smooth as these. _Especially_ since this class has time constraints. Students are always slightly hurried. But these," she shook his head in silent appreciation, "They perfectly encompass her. And the mood. They're soft, and so is this scene. And the shading! The contrast! Well done."

Arizona dimpled, exhaling the breath she had been holding. "Thank you, Sir."

He turned back to her. "No, thank _you_. It's a good thing to be able to be able to see such immense talent on the first day of class."

Arizona's smile got impossibly wider, but she hesitated before taking back the canvas the professor held out to her.

"Was there something else?" Dr. Forster prompted.

"I was wondering," she paused, "What was the model's name?"

"She's good, eh?"

Arizona nodded.

"Calliope Torres. She's actually a student here."

Arizona kept her eyes on him in feigned ignorance, hoping he would give something else away. After a minute, he did.

"She's been modeling for a few of my classes since her freshman year. I think she pays for school herself. Sweet girl."

"Thank you," Arizona nodded once more. "I should probably let you go. But thank you. For everything."

Forster smiled, at it shifted his white mustache up towards his cheeks. "Thank you! And have a great night!"

Arizona chuckled at him. Artists were so weird. "You, too."

Finally, at almost seven p.m., she headed out the studio and towards her apartment.

The woman with deep, rich dark chocolate eyes had a name.

 _Calliope_. Calliope Torres.

.

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.

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* * *

 **If you think I should continue, please let me know!**

 **I have finals the week of June 7th, so I may not update super quickly until after the 12th, but I will definitely try to! I'm really interested in writing this, so I'll make sure it's a priority.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

The second Arizona opened her apartment door, she was met with the sound of squeals as her roommate ran towards her.

"Arizona!" she called and pulled the blonde into a tight hug.

After a minute, Arizona smiled and hugged her back. "April, what's up?"

April pulled back and looked at Arizona. "I missed you! We had Winter Break, and I went home for three weeks. I missed my best friend!"

Arizona grinned. "I missed you, too. How was Moline?" she began walking towards the kitchen, looking for food, and April eagerly followed behind her.

"It was good!" eternally-chipper April smiled. "It was _so_ fun to celebrate the holidays with my family. Kimmy's having a tough time, though. Tom—her husband—cheated on her."

Standing in front of the fridge, Arizona suddenly stiffened.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," April eagerly apologized. "I know it's still a sore subj—"

Arizona put her hand up. "It's fine, April," she tried to smile. "What's Kimmy going to do?" she quickly changed the subject.

April sighed in sympathy. "She said she's staying with him. For the boys."

Arizona raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yuck."

"That's what I said!" April exclaimed, then sighed. "Were you hungry? I made some roasted potatoes and chicken."

Arizona moaned in approval. "Yes! Give me that."

April laughed. "Sit! I'll warm some for you. How was your day?"

"It was good," Arizona admitted. She thought back to her unexpected "Painting from Life" class and smiled unthinkingly.

April looked at her when she didn't elaborate. "Arizona..."

"Hmm?" Arizona asked, April's voice rousing her from thoughts of those _curves_.

April crossed her arms knowingly. "You met someone."

"What?" Arizona balked. "What makes you think that?"

"You're smiling. Like, really smiling in a way that you haven't since..." she paused. "Well, you know."

Arizona sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"So," April continued enthusiastically, "Who is it?!"

Arizona hesitated. Opening up to people... didn't come naturally to her. She didn't like people to know her business, if she could help it. But, April had been a great friend to her for the past two and a half years. Arizona could trust her. She knew she could. And April wasn't going to leave.

So, Arizona quelled her fears and launched into the story. How she had met a woman— _Calliope_ —at the cafe, and how she'd thought she might not see her again until she turned out to be the class's model.

April's eyes got wider and wider as Arizona continued to tell her all that had happened. When she finally concluded, "So now we're going to meet again for coffee tomorrow," April positively squealed (as she often did).

"What?" Arizona laughed.

"It's a sign!"

"A sign?" Arizona was dubious.

"Yes! This doesn't just _happen_ to people. She's going to be important to you. I can already tell."

Arizona shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "Not necessarily. And, anyway, I don't even _want_ to be in a relationship again. You know how well that worked last time."

April huffed. "Arizona," she sighed, almost in exasperation. "This woman—Calliope—isn't Carly. She's not evil."

Arizona cringed at hearing her ex-girlfriend's name. "Maybe."

"Admit you're excited for tomorrow," April insisted.

Arizona shook her head, unwilling to give April the satisfaction.

"Admit it!" April repeated. "I won't feed you until you do!"

"Hey!" Arizona cried. "That's not fair!"

April crossed her arms, unwilling to let Arizona win this one. Her friend deserved happiness, and she wanted Arizona to see that, too. "Admit it."

Arizona rolled her eyes in defeat. "Fine. I'm _a little_ excited. Happy?"

"Very," April grabbed Arizona's plate of food from the microwave and skipped towards her.

As Arizona scarfed down dinner, she prompted, "How was your first day back? Any photography gigs yet?"

April eagerly recounted a story about how she and a friend had landed a job photographing a wedding just that morning, and Arizona listened to her contently. Even though what April was saying was interesting, though, her mind kept drifting off to wondering how Calliope's audition had gone.

She hoped it had gone well.

* * *

Arizona had been sitting at the cafe for thirty-five minutes, and there was still no sign of Calliope. She had already eaten her donut, nearly finished her coffee, and sketched three of the people sitting around her, and still: nothing.

And it wasn't helping that the door chimed every time someone walked inside. It meant that, every time, Arizona would look up, hoping it was the brunette, only to see that it was someone else.

She sighed. This is why she'd been trying to distance herself from people. Caring was too hard. It always left her feeling hurt.

So, she willed herself not to look up when the door chimed, and instead focused on sketching the old woman at the table beside hers. When she finally did survey the cafe a few minutes later, there Calliope was: facing away from her and looking a little lost.

"You looking for somewhere to sit?" Arizona teased.

The brunette whipped around, smiling when she saw it was Arizona. "Hey," she gushed as she sat down.

"Calliope. Hi," Arizona smiled.

The taller woman stiffened. "What did you call me?"

"Calliope...?" Arizona answered, a little unsure now. "I realized we forgot to exchange names yesterday, so I asked Dr. Forster. And, you must think I'm a stalker..."

"No," the woman chuckled. "It's just... I hate my full name. My parents are the only ones who ever call me it. And my sister, when she's trying to piss me off." She smiled and held her hand out over the table as a way of formal introduction. "Callie Torres."

Immediately, Arizona reached across the table with her own hand, almost jumping as her hand met the skin of _Callie's_ soft, warm hand. "Arizona Robbins."

"Nice to meet you," Callie smiled. "Officially."

"Yeah," Arizona laughed. "You really don't like the name 'Calliope,' though?"

Callie shrugged.

"I think it's beautiful," she appraised Callie. "It suits you."

Callie felt her heart take off in her chest. "Well, it doesn't sound so bad when you say it, but most people just pronounce it wrong."

Arizona raised her eyebrows in waiting.

Callie sighed. "So, fine, I won't bite your head off if you use it." She put up a finger before Arizona could say anything. "But, still, 'Callie's' better."

Arizona nodded in feigned solemnity. "Then, _Callie_ , how was your audition?! I tried to send positive thoughts in your direction last night."

Callie grinned at the thought of Arizona thinking of her and answered humbly, "Well, you must have sent a lot of them because it went really, really well."

"Yay! Say more."

"Well, I tried out for the part of Maria—the protagonist—and I was up against Erica Hahn. Do you know her?"

Arizona nodded. "I think I've seen her in some other plays."

"Yeah, she's good. So, I went in there first and sang a song and read a scene with Mark, the guy who's playing Captain Von Trapp. Then, I waited outside for Erica to go and the selection team to call me back in and let me know whether I got the part or not."

Arizona kept looking at her, her eyes unblinking.

"And I was so sure that Erica was going to get it. She's already a senior, and she has blonde hair and blue eyes, you know? Most people don't imagine Maria looking like me."

" _Buuuut_..." Arizona prompted, feeling nervous on Callie's part. Her knees were bouncing under the table in anxiousness.

" _Buuuut_ ," Callie grinned, "They called me back in and told me I got the part! I'm the lead!"

Arizona's lips turned up into the proudest, most radiant smile Callie had ever seen. How was that even possible?

"That's amazing!" Arizona exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Callie smiled back. "I wish Erica wasn't my understudy, but it will still be amazing."

Arizona looked at Callie questioningly, waiting for her to explain further. When she didn't, the blonde decided not to push and admitted, "Well, I can't wait to see it."

Callie's eyes widened. "It's not until June! You're pretty confident that I'll st— that I'll like you then?" she blushed at her near slip up, and Arizona laughed.

"You were going to say 'still!' That you'd 'still like me then.'"

Callie pouted out her lower lip guiltily, and Arizona nearly melted at the sheer adorableness at the face she made at her embarrassment. "Arizona Robbins, I barely know you. Don't go being presumptuous."

"Fine," Arizona sat back in her chair. "What do you want to know?"

"About you," Callie clarified. She dropped her elbows onto the table and cradled her face in the palms of her hands. "Tell me about you."

"Well," Arizona began, suddenly nervous. It was rare that someone asked her this question so directly. "I'm an Art and Design major, I'm from D.C., and I love painting, swings, and donuts."

"Swings and donuts, huh?" Callie teased.

"Don't laugh! Swings are fun, and donuts are delicious."

Callie put her hands up in surrender, "Hey, no disagreement there. It's just cute how those are some of the first things you say about yourself."

"Tell me about you, then, since you're so cool."

Callie snickered at how easily Arizona got riled up before saying, "I'm a Musical Theater major, I'm from Miami, and I love singing and acting, scary movies, and pizza."

Arizona felt a slow smile spread across her face. "I like pizza, too."

Regretfully, she spotted the clock on the wall opposite her and sighed.

"What is it?" Callie set down her coffee cup.

"I have class soon," Arizona pouted. "I don't want to go."

Callie turned around and read the clock. "I don't have class for another hour, but I could walk you? I need to get back to campus, anyway."

"Really?" Arizona asked hopefully. "I don't want to trouble you."

Callie waved her off. "It's no trouble. Let's go." She wasn't ready to end their little coffee date just yet.

So, together, they began the short walk back towards campus.

"It's freezing," Callie complained, rubbing her hands together.

"It's perfect," Arizona disagreed. "How can you not like the snow?!"

"I'm from Miami, remember? I'm a sunshine girl."

Arizona just shook her head. She was smitten. She had never connected with someone so quickly, and when Callie turned to smile at her, she felt as if her entire body might explode.

But in a good way. A really, really good, stomach tickling, skin buzzing kind of way. And, suddenly, she needed to be touching this brown-eyed beauty. She took off her left mitten and handed it to Callie. "Here, your hands must be freezing. Put this on."

"Thanks," Callie smiled and proceeded to do just that.

Her right hand hung at her side, and she was standing just close enough that it grazed Arizona's still-warm hand every few steps. After a second of hesitation, Callie intertwined their fingers, earning herself a dazzling dimpled smile from the blonde.

"You're warm," Callie explained. She felt her pulse quicken. Arizona's skin felt really, really good.

Which was weird. It was weird how much Callie liked the feeling. She had only known Arizona for a day, but already, she was enchanted.

"You're hot," Arizona breathed as she looked up at Callie shyly.

Callie felt herself blush lobster-red and attempted to cover her face with a bent arm. "Thanks," she murmured in embarrassment, her voice muffled.

Arizona laughed at Callie's sudden sheepishness. God, she was really, really cute.

After a minute, Callie lowered her arm. She looked at Arizona, and she found herself getting lost in those cerulean eyes. "So are you. And you're cute."

She watched the blonde's cold pink cheeks redden, and she squeezed the hand that somehow seemed to fit perfectly in her own. "You said you liked pizza?"

Arizona nodded. "I love it," she confirmed.

"Me, too," Callie grinned. "You know what two pizza lovers should do?"

"What?" Arizona asked, playing along.

"Eat it together."

"Like a date?" Arizona asked, a knowing smile crossing her face.

"Definitely like a date. If I ask you out, what will you say?"

Arizona felt butterflies course through her entire body. A date? _A date_? _With this woman_? She felt like she was winning the lottery.

"I'll say yes."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, Callie bounced into her first "Prose and Poetry" class, still smiling. She had a date! An actual date! Three days from now! With a really, really hot blonde. Who was equally pretty. And cute.

And she'd gotten her phone number. That alone was something to smile about.

"Someone's happy," Callie could practically hear the knowing smirk from across the room, and when she locked eyes with the red-head, she knew her suspicions about who it was had been right.

"Addison!" she exclaimed, walking over to her old friend and hugging her. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Taking 'Prose and Poetry'! How have you been? I've missed you this year."

"I'm good!" Callie grinned. "I've missed you, too. How about you? How's everything?"

Addison rolled her eyes. "It's been busy but good. Listen, I heard about what happened with Erica. I'm sorry."

Callie shrugged, suddenly sobering up. "Don't worry about it. It's over now."

Addison nodded sympathetically. "Hey, you want to go somewhere to catch up?"

Callie's eyes widened. "Now? Class hasn't even started yet!"

Addison waved off the idea. "It's syllabus week. You know we won't miss anything."

Callie rolled her eyes. Leaving _was_ tempting. Especially if it meant catching up with her friend.

"You know you want to," Addison sing-songed.

"Fine," Callie laughed. "We can go to my apartment and hang out and make dinner together, if you want?"

"Yes!" Addison cried in appreciation. "I've been wanting to see Cristina, anyway."

Callie snickered as they headed out the door. "Nothing much has changed about her. Still the messiest roommate ever."

"Oh, man. She makes me thankful that _I_ don't have one," Addison commented.

"Yeah," Callie sighed. "She's loyal, though, if nothing else. She was ready to kill Erica after it all went down."

"She should've," Addison scoffed.

Callie threw her head back and laughed. Addison was loyal, too. "Hey! I'm trying to be the bigger person, here. And I kind of have to be, considering she's my understudy."

"WHAT?" Addison squawked. "For what?"

"'The Sound of Music'!" Callie pranced down the sidewalk. She was really excited about the musical—apart from the fact that she'd be working with her ex. "I got the role of Maria!"

"No way!" Addison admired. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I was surprised you didn't try out, actually. What's been going on with you?"

Addison shrugged and suddenly looked down at the snow.

"Addison," Callie worried, her voice dropping. "What is it?"

"Trouble in paradise," Addison sighed. "I'm cheating on Derek, and he knows it."

"Wait, what? Why?! With who?!"

Addison crossed her arms, suddenly embarrassed. "This man named Mark."

"SLOAN?" Callie screeched.

Addison's head snapped up. "You know him?"

"He's playing The Captain!"

Addison groaned. "I should've known. He's sexy, though, right?"

Callie laughed. "Sure, Addie. What are you and Derek going to do? You've been together for almost two years!"

Addison shrugged. "I don't know yet. I know I should just end it, but it's hard."

Callie squeezed her arm. "I can't even imagine."

They trudged up the stairs inside Callie's apartment building in silence, thinking about the states of their past and current relationships and waiting for their rigid limbs to defrost.

Callie opened the door to her apartment and called, "Hello? Cristina?" When her roommate didn't answer, she tossed her keys down onto the kitchen counter and crossed over to the tiny living room, plopping down on the couch with an "Ahhh."

Addison comfortably sat down across from her and prompted, "So."

"So...?" Callie knit her eyebrows together.

" _So_ , why were you smiling like an idiot when you walked into class today?"

Callie blushed, suddenly shy. "I—I think I met someone."

"Out with it!" Addison insisted.

"Well, I met her yesterday at the Kreuzberg Coffeehouse, and she was cute and sweet, but _then_ ," Callie paused, "She was in the art class I model for."

Addison raised her eyebrows. "The one you model for...naked?"

Slowly, Callie nodded.

"Oh my god!" Addison exclaimed. "No way."

"Yes way," Callie tittered. "And, basically, I met her again for coffee today and asked her on a date."

Addison covered her mouth with her hands, practically squealing.

"But it's nothing yet," Callie quickly continued. "I mean, I've only known her for a day. Like, for twenty-six hours. And she's really, really, _really_ cute," she paused as she thought back to the way the blonde had practically skipped through the snow, "But, still, maybe nothing will happen."

"You want something to happen, though, right?" Addison challenged knowingly.

Callie shrugged in surrender.

"Callie!" Addison burst out. "This is big!"

"What? No, it's not! It's nothing yet."

Addison gave her a knowing look. "You damn well know that it is something. Anyway, you ran into her _twice_ yesterday. Totally by mistake. Don't you think that's a sign?!"

Callie chortled at her friend's ridiculous. "A 'sign'?" she deadpanned. "Seriously, Addison?"

Addison look at her in exasperation. "Mark my words, Callie," she insisted. "This woman's going to change your life."

Callie rolled her eyes. "I love you, but you're getting a little ahead of yourself." Despite her bravado, though, she wondered if Addison might be right. And—the tiniest part of her—hoped that Addison would be. It would be an privilege to have Arizona in her life at all. That she already knew.

But she didn't want to jinx it, so she suggested, "Want to help me make some dinner?"

"Sure," Addison agreed, and the pair headed towards the small kitchen.

"What are you in the mood for?" Callie inspected the fridge. "We could make chicken, pasta, lasagna, tacos?"

"Tacos."

"Done," Callie grinned. So, she and Addison continued to chat about Arizona, Mark, and their classes as they grated cheese, chopped onion, peeled avocados, and seasoned ground chicken. After a few minutes, they heard the door open and slam shut.

"Cristina!" Addison greeted. "Hi."

"Hi," Cristina waved, messily setting down her bags in the middle of the room.

"How've you been?" Addison asked conversationally.

Cristina shrugged, sitting on bar stool. "Meh. Busy already." She paused. "Hey, I heard you've been getting your freak on with Mark Sloan."

"What?" Addison squeaked. "How did you know?"

Cristina laughed at how red her friend's face got. It almost matched her hair. "A bunch of girls in one of my classes were talking about it today. They're jealous."

"Great," Addison sighed. "All I need are more enemies."

Callie set all the food down on the bar. "Ready to eat?"

" _Yes_ ," Cristina agreed, already reaching for a tortilla. "Callie, I'm happy about your success and all, but it's going to suck when you start having late rehearsals and I'll have no one here to cook for me."

Callie laughed. "There's always cereal."

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Cristina chomped, "So, what are we doing this weekend?"

"Callie has a date," Addison disclosed.

"Addison!" Callie chided.

"A date? With who?"

"This woman I met yesterday," Callie admitted in surrender. "We're getting pizza."

"Hey, up top!" Cristina held her hand up, and after a second, Callie high fived her.

"It's good you're going out," Cristina admitted, serious now. "Moving on. It's good."

"Thanks," Callie smiled.

Cristina turned to Addison. "What are _we_ doing, then? Wanna get drinks downtown with me and Mer on Saturday night? We can go to Joe's."

Addison shrugged in agreement. "Sure." She turned to Callie. "You and Arizona could even stop by after."

Callie nodded. "Maybe we will."

* * *

When Addison finally went home and Cristina retired to her room, Callie showered, changed into a baggy t-shirt, and plopped down in bed. Her bed was the one thing she liked about her apartment. She had found the almost-new queen sized bed at a yard sale the year before, and it was heaven. The mattress was thick and soft, and it was huge.

She was exhausted, but she and Arizona had exchanged phone numbers earlier that day, and Callie really, really wanted to text the blonde. Just as she began typing something out, her phone buzzed.

 **Hey! Is this Callie?**

Callie felt her stomach clench as a wide smile appeared on her face.

 _Only if you're someone with the initials A.R. Otherwise, I'm sleeping._

 **Good thing those are my initials then :)**

Callie grinned. Was it normal to feel _this_ excited about texting someone?

 _Good thing :) What's your middle name, anyway? It's only right I know all your initials._

 **Leigh. What's yours?**

Callie groaned. She should have seen this coming. She pursed her lips.

 _Not telling._

 **Come on! It's only fair!**

 _What did you do tonight?_

 **You're changing the subject.**

Callie laughed. _Indeed I am. So! What'd you do?_

 **Some super fun homework for "Painting from Life." Speaking of which, are you modeling again tomorrow?**

Callie pulled her blankets up to her chin and rolled onto her side, deciding what to say. Usually, she wasn't the most forward person, but banter with Arizona just felt so easy. It felt good. Natural.

 _You just want to see me naked again_ , Callie finally answered.

 **...** was the only response she got.

Callie felt her stomach drop. Had she misread Arizona's signals? She cursed herself. "Shit, shit, shit!" She totally just freaked the blonde out. "I'm an idiot."

But after a minute came, **I'm not even going to bother denying that.**

Callie exhaled a relieved breath, and she felt a new feeling settlein the pit of her stomach. A terrifyingly good feeling of a tickling buzz that spread from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

 _Glad we're in agreement._

After a minute, Callie added, _Oh! And on Saturday, a few of my friends are going to a bar if you want to join them after pizza?_

 **Sounds good. Any friends of Callie Torres are friends of mine.**

Callie grinned. _I need to sleep, and I'm not going to have time to go to the cafe tomorrow, but can I call you tomorrow night?_

She anxiously waited for Arizona's reply. Calling and texting were two very different things. But, if she couldn't see her, she at least wanted to hear her voice. She shook her head. How had it only been a day?

 **Yes! I'll look forward to it.**

 _Me, too. Goodnight, Arizona._

 **Sleep tight, Calliope.**

* * *

Arizona was running late. There was nothing that agitated her more than being late. It was something she dreaded. Her parents had taught her to be early to everything, and historically, she was. But Arizona had a seven a.m. class, and she hadn't expected a foot of thick, deep snow to be covering the sidewalk. Walking to campus through that made her much slower than usual.

And now she was going to be late.

She rushed inside her "Contemporary Art" class, noticing too late that her professor was mid-lecture and the classroom was otherwise silent. The professor, Dr. Kalin, stared at her.

Anddddd Arizona was going to cry. She couldn't stand authority figures looking at her like that. "Sorry," she mouthed, sitting in the first open seat she could find. _Soldier up, Arizona_ , she thought. _It's all good_.

After a minute, Dr. Kalin continued where he had left off, as if there had been no interruption at all. Arizona sighed in relief. She was here, and only ten minutes late. Everything was okay.

And, for the remainder of her classes, everything stayed okay. She sat next to Alex again in "Painting from Life," and this time, they painted an overweight elderly man. It wasn't nearly as fun as painting Callie, that was for sure, but it was _good_ practice.

"Dude," Alex muttered when the old man began stripping. "I'm gonna puke."

Arizona lightly smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"Shhh," she giggled. "Just paint."

"Fine," he grumbled, making a face.

Hesitantly, Arizona followed her own advice and began working on painting the large man: scars, wrinkles, rolls of fat and all.

And this time, when everyone started packing up after two hours, so did Arizona. She looked over at Alex's work. He was good. There was no doubt about that. His style was different from her own. Where she saw curves, he saw angles. And while she used bright colors whenever she could, he had far less contrast. Everything was darker, and it had a shadowy vibe. It was sophisticated and masculine.

"You're good," she admired.

He cocked a smile at her. "Thanks. You're _really_ good."

"Thank you," Arizona grinned.

"You want to practice together sometime, maybe?" he deadpanned.

Arizona's eyes widened. "Alex, I'm not, um, comfortable with you painting me nake—"

He interrupted her nervous babble, guffawing, "Robbins, relax. I meant painting in general. I already know you're interested in another model," he wiggled his eyebrows.

Arizona shook her head, blushing. "Shut up."

He laughed again. "I'll text you. See ya, Robbins."

She rolled her eyes. "Later, Karev."

As Arizona walked down the hallway to start making her way home, she heard a voice she recognized from behind her. A seemingly nice, melodious voice, but one that turned her blood cold. She stumbled down the long hallway, desperate to escape it. She couldn't hear this voice. She needed to get home.

"Arizona!" she heard from behind her.

Arizona kept walking.

"Wait up!"

Arizona didn't stop. She needed to get away. She couldn't see _this_ woman's face. _This_ woman had cheated on her. _This_ woman had broken her heart.

Suddenly, Arizona felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. "Hey, wait."

She sighed heavily, crossing her arms. "Carly."

The woman with white skin, short brown hair, and piercing green eyes looked down, suddenly nervous.

 _Good_ , Arizona thought.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Carly mumbled.

"I know," Arizona glared. "It's been nice."

Carly's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Bye, Carly," Arizona growled, turning to walk away.

"Wait," the woman pled, grabbing Arizona's shoulder again.

Arizona tore her hand away, and Carly put her hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry, okay? I heard about your brother."

Arizona sucked in an unsteady breath.

"I'm sorry," Carly repeated. "I know it happened a while ago..."

Arizona nodded. "A week after you—"

"I know," Carly interrupted. "And I know I should've said something before. But if you ever need someone to t—"

"No," Arizona shook her head. "I don't. I've gotta go."

"Arizona..." the woman deflated. "Are we ever going to talk about what hap—"

Again, Arizona shook her head. "No. We're not."

Carly rolled her eyes spitefully. "Arizona!" she said in exasperation. "This is your problem. This is why—"

Arizona put up a finger. "Do _not_ put what _you_ did on me."

"You never let anyone in!" Carly exclaimed.

Arizona shook her head, turning around. She needed to get away from this woman. She needed to get away from the memories. "I have to go."

"Sure. You always walk away when things get hard. What's one more time?"

Arizona slammed her fist into the wall beside her as she turned back around to face the woman. It was all she could to keep from hitting Carly herself. This woman had the nerve to talk to her, to talk about Tim, and to blame _her_ for the way things ended, after _she_ had been the one who cheated. It was unfathomable. This woman had ruined her confidence and her idealistic view with one thoughtless, evil action, and now she was here, insulting Arizona.

Through gritted teeth, Arizona barked, "You don't get to blame me. You don't get to put this on me. And you don't ever— _ever_ —get to talk about my brother. Ever. Again." She was close to tears she was so mad. How dare Carly. How dare she. Especially after everything. "You don't get to make yourself feel better for giving me condolences about Tim. Because you knew. You knew a week after it happened. You knew a week after we broke up. You knew, and you didn't even call. You don't get to let yourself off the hook for that. I was hurting, and you didn't even call. You were just gone."

Finally stunned into silence, Carly just nodded.

"Now stay the hell away from me" Arizona insisted, her voice ice. She turned on her heel and stalked away.

She hated this day.

* * *

Arizona slammed the apartment door shut as she walked inside.

April looked up from where she was editing pictures on the couch. "Hey...?"

"Hi," Arizona stormed into the kitchen, tearing the cupboard open and reaching for a glass.

"Somebody's sure a grumpus," April commented.

Arizona glared at her. "April, I hate that nonsense word."

April's eyes softened. "Are you...okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Arizona shook her head. Despite the fact that it was only a little past seven, she stated, "I'm going to bed."

But she was in such a foul mood that there was no way she could sleep. Instead, she showered, obsessively cleaned and organized her room, organized the documents on her computer, and did as many push-ups as she could, just trying to quell anger _somehow_. The day had started badly, and it had ended worse.

It wasn't just Carly, though. Seeing her brought back feelings of deception, betrayal, and just overall _pain_ from what Carly had done, sure, but it also reminded Arizona of what came after.

Arizona had been heartbroken, but that pain didn't even begin to compare to the pain she felt a week later, when she found out that Tim had been killed in action.

That had been what had broken her heart. That had been what ruined her.

Her brother—and best friend—was now dead.

 _Everyone leaves_ , Arizona thought. _Everyone I love breaks my heart_.

Because it was true. The only people she'd really, truly loved had either cheated on her or died.

She felt tears sting her eyes and instantly wiped them away.

 _Stop crying, Arizona. Soldier up. You're fine_.

Suddenly, she heard her cell phone ring from the other side of the room, pulling her from her reverie. She didn't even look to see who was calling. "Hello," she sighed.

"Arizona?" came Callie's voice from across the line.

"Callie," Arizona breathed. "Hi."

"Hi," Callie intoned gently. "Are you okay?"

"Bad day," Arizona kicked the foot of her bed. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Callie whispered slowly. Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Arizona shook her head, forgetting Callie couldn't see her. After a minute, she answered, "No."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

Again, Arizona repeated, "No." She sighed. "Can you just distract me?"

"Sure," Callie quickly agreed, eager to help in any way she could. In an attempt to sound excited and brighten Arizona's mood, she exclaimed, "I had my first rehearsal today!"

"How'd it go?" Arizona prompted.

"Good!" Callie chirped. "Well, mostly good. I got to really talk to the male lead, Mark, though. And that was fun because he's hooking up with one of my good friends. I got to scope him out." She chuckled amicably.

Despite herself, Arizona felt her mood brighten at Callie's story. "And..." she paused. "Did he pass the Callie Torres you-can-hook-up-with-my-good-friend test?"

Callie laughed. "I haven't decided yet. He's kind of a man whore, but he's cute." When Arizona didn't answer, Callie nervously added, "For her! Cute for Addison. Definitely."

Arizona chuckled at Callie's nervousness. "I like talking to you on the phone."

Callie exhaled loudly. "Me, too." She added, "Oh, hey, are you going to be at the cafe tomorrow? I know we're supposed to go out Saturday night, too, but I was thinking—"

"Wait," Arizona interrupted. She got up from where she had been lying on her bed and began pacing.

Callie waited, and Arizona could hear her soft breathing on the other end of the line.

Quietly, Arizona began, "About that..." she paused, hesitating. "I'm not sure us dating is such a good idea."

"Oh," Callie piped, her voice raising an octave in an attempt to hide her hurt. "Okay."

Arizona began pacing faster and quickly backtracked, "It's not that I don't like you, because I do. Like you, I mean. But I— I think we should just be friends."

"Ooohhkaaay...?" Callie questioned. She wasn't getting this. If Arizona liked her, then why would they just be friends?

Arizona sighed. "I'm sorry."

Callie tried to grab a hold of her emotions. "Don't apologize," she insisted. "You have nothing to apologize for. Of course we can be friends."

Arizona breathed a sigh of relief. "Really?"

"Really," Callie assured her. "And, if you want, we can still go out for drinks on Saturday night with my friends?"

"Yeah," Arizona sighed. "I'd like that."

"Good," Callie tried to smile. "I'll see you then."

After a long, almost awkward, pause, Arizona peeped, "Callie?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it okay if I still call you? Tomorrow maybe? As a friend?"

Callie sighed. She knew it was in her own best interest to deny the request. She liked Arizona. Like, she _like liked_ Arizona. Being her friend—and nothing more—would be torture. But, Callie found that she _couldn't_ deny her. She couldn't. If Arizona wanted to talk to her, Callie knew that she would be there. She'd take any part of the blonde that she could get.

"Yeah," Callie breathed. "You can call tomorrow. I'll talk to you then."

* * *

 **Okay, so I know you were likely hoping the date would happen, and IT WILL! Arizona's just gotta get over some stuff first.**

 **As always, your reviews and commentary are much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for any spelling mistakes!**

* * *

Callie was bummed. She was 100% bummed out. Not quite upset because, really, did she have a right to be? She'd known Arizona for all of three days, and though it seemed as if the blonde shared her affections, she had the right not to want to go on a date with Callie. Even if she had agreed to it the day before.

That wasn't the problem. If Arizona just wasn't attracted to Callie, she could deal with that. The problem was that Arizona had said that she _did_ like Callie. She said she liked her, but she couldn't date her.

 _Oy_ , Callie thought. _What the heck does that mean_?

But as she walked towards the Drama building, she forced the woman out of her mind. Maybe Callie had imagined their connection. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe being friends would be great. Regardless, she couldn't think about it right then. Not when she was about to have her second 'The Sound of Music' rehearsal. And not—definitely not—when she was about to see Erica for the first time since she'd found out the woman had betrayed her.

She walked through the door to the school's theater and took a deep, meditative breath. _This_ was where she belonged. This was her safe haven.

"Torres!" called a gruff voice from across the room. There were a few people bustling around, but it wasn't crowded with the entire cast yet.

Callie whipped her head around, trying to gauge who had called her.

"Torres!" she heard again, and this time, she saw a hand waving for her to come. Mark.

"Mark?" Callie prompted as she walked towards him. "Hi...?"

As Callie halted a few feet in front of him, she felt her fellow costar lewdly appraise her. Something about the way he traced her curves with his eyes made her want to attempt to cover up— even though she was fully clothed and had ample experience standing naked in front of strangers. She self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. "You bellowed, Sloan?"

He gave her a lecherous look. "You're gonna make a helluva Maria."

Callie sighed in exasperation. "Good morning to you, too." She turned to walk away. She had no patience to deal with horny, high school-ish, immature antics. Not today. She had Erica to worry about.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Mark quickly conceded, blocking her path. "Seriously, though. Addison told me to look out for you today—protect you from the Wicked Witch of the West Coast.

Callie raised an eyebrow at him. "She told you? _Great_ ," she shook her head. Addison was loyal, yes, but she sometimes had trouble keeping her mouth shut.

"She didn't tell me anything major!" Mark quickly defended. "Even though I begged her to give me the full story. She just said that you two have some beef. And that I should defend you. If it comes to blows," he smirked, and Callie could see what drew Addison to him. If nothing else, he was certainly charming.

"So Addison mandated you to defend my honor?" she felt a smile begin to form.

He shrugged, sheepish. "We might as well be friends, anyway. I'm going to be hanging out a lot with Addison, and you two are close. And we already have something in common!"

Callie chuckled. "And what's that?"

Mark leaned towards her conspiratorially. "I don't like the bitch, either."

This time, Callie's laugh was genuine. At this point, anyone who didn't like Erica was a friend of hers. "Fine. We'll be friends."

Mark nodded solemnly until something caught his eye behind Callie's head. Before Callie could turn around to see what had distracted him, Mark whispered, "Don't. Don't turn around. It's her."

Callie widened her eyes at him anxiously, and her blood turned to hot oil. She was both terrified of seeing Erica and angered at the mere idea of having to look at her backstabbing face.

Erica had been the first women she'd been attracted to. The first woman she'd been with. Callie hadn't had any sort of support system _but_ Erica. And then the villainous, conniving woman had broken her trust.

Callie felt her chest tighten at the thought. It was something she'd never thought she'd get over.

The year before, they had been happily dating. Really, truly, happily dating. And they had _still_ been dating when they talked about applying for an elite summer Drama program at Julliard together. They had worked on their applications together and proofread each other's personal statements. It had been great: the thought of them both getting in, getting to work side-by-side in a production, and getting to work with some of the best, most dedicated actors and directors in the country.

That had been the plan. But then, Callie hadn't been able to make enough money to afford it, and she couldn't even apply. Erica had applied anyway. Which had been fine. And she had gotten in, which had also been fine.

What most definitely, not-in-one-thousand-years, Callie thought, _hadn't_ been fine was the fact that Erica had been admitted to the program by submitting _Callie's_ personal statement.

And the fact that Callie had only discovered that when the essay had been published on the Julliard website for being _that good_. Erica had stolen Callie's work and passed it off as her own, and she had still had the nerve to tell Callie how much she loved her. Daily.

 _Right_ , Callie thought. Because she just couldn't accept the idea that Erica could have ever loved her.

Though Callie had no personal experience with love, she knew that it should be real, genuine, selfless, and unconditional. And no one who loved someone unconditionally would ever step on her toes for their own personal gain. Love wasn't supposed to be like that. That, Callie knew.

"Is she coming over here?" Callie mouthed.

Mark shook his head. "She was going to until she saw you. Then she practically ran away." He barked out a laugh. "Are you going to tell me what the hell happened with you two?"

Callie huffed. "She's not worth the effort of me even telling that story."

"Wow," Mark took a step back. "That bad, huh?"

Callie sighed. "You have no idea."

"Well," Mark offered. "How about me and you go out for a drink when this is all over?" He took in Callie's warning expression. "Not like _that_ ," he clarified. "As friends."

"Mark Sloan, I'm still not sure if I want you as a friend."

Mark looked down, suddenly serious. "I get that a lot," he smiled sadly.

And right then, Callie's heart lurched. She suddenly realized that this dirty-minded Adonis might have more substance to him than she'd thought. Instantly, she cursed herself. Of course he did. Callie was always trying to put people into boxes: good, evil, shallow, deep, worth loving, or not worth her time. Who knew it would take a guy like Mark to remind her that humans were more complex than that?

Callie smiled back, and hers was reassuring. "I'd love to be friends with you, Mark." The way he looked at her with wonder and sheer fascination at her words let Callie know she'd made the right call. "A drink sounds good."

Mark all but jumped up and down with excitement before returning to his aloof and overtly confident bravado. "But since I'm your body guard against Erica all semester, you're buying."

* * *

"You WHAT?" April squawked.

Arizona put her face in her hands. "I shouldn't have said anything..."

"Um, yes, you should have!" April crossed her arms. "Why did you cancel your date? You were excited!"

"I told you why!" Arizona cried.

April took a deep breath. She had a lot to say, but she had to be gentle. Arizona was easily scared away, especially in matters of intimacy and emotion. "Arizona." She waited for her friend to look up.

"What."

"You can't just shut yourself in forever. What happened with Carly...and Tim... It was all almost a year ago. And I've seen you miserable and holed up in your room since then."

Arizona looked down again—guiltily. So, she hadn't quite been herself this past year. But could April blame her? Could _anyone_ blame her? The woman she had loved had left emotionally, and her brother and best friend had... Well, he had just left. He'd left the world: physically, emotionally, mentally. He had ceased to exist altogether.

"But thinking about Callie made you smile," April continued. She implored Arizona's eyes. "And smiling is good!"

Arizona crossed her arms. She didn't want to talk about this. She didn't want to rethink her decision. Because thinking about it would make her change her mind. And that wasn't a good idea. Of course thinking about Callie had made her smile. She was sweet and genuine in a way that few people were. From their few trysts, Arizona could already see that she was a good person. Good in a way that Carly never had been. She knew that. But Arizona had loved Carly anyway, and Carly had destroyed her.

Arizona didn't even want to consider what Callie could do to her.

So she'd called off their date. A date she had really, really wanted to go on. Because just looking into those dark chocolate orbs set fire to Arizona's skin. In the best way possible! No one else had ever been able to do that.

"April..." Arizona pleaded. "I _can't_. I can't feel like I did last year. Ever again. I won't make it."

"But Arizona," April gently set her hand over her friend's. "You're punishing her—and yourself—without even having reason to. Maybe you'll hate the date, or _you_ could end up hurting _her_ , or maybe," she grinned, "You could end up having something really special."

Arizona groaned. "Sometimes I forget that you have no romantic experience. Then, you say things like that, and I'm reminded." She playfully pinched April's side.

"Hey!" April scowled. She huffed audibly then countered, "But I'm not wrong. You like her, and she obviously likes you. That's worth something. You should give it a shot."

Arizona pursed her lips. She didn't want to talk about this. In part, because thinking about giving said "it" a shot absolutely terrified her, but the bigger part of her didn't want to talk about it because she knew April was right. "You know," she smiled mischievously, "We don't have Friday classes, and I _would_ be willing to give us a shot."

April shook her head in exasperated awe. Arizona was the queen of deflecting. "A shot of tequila?"

Arizona just grinned, as she grabbed her purse with one hand, April's arm with the other, and marched them out the door.

* * *

Callie had been worried about the bartenders scrutinizing her fake I.D., but with Mark by her side, it turned out that the worry had been unwarranted. He seemed to know _everyone_. And everyone seemed to like him—or, well, the women anyway. They ogled him openly, "accidentally" brushing past him and bumping into him while their male dates scowled at him. Mark was a catch; Callie could see that. But, she was impressed by the fact that Mark seemed genuinely uninterested.

"So," Callie smiled, sipping her rum and coke. "How are things with Addison?"

His face flushed, and Callie wasn't sure whether to laugh or wrap her arms around him. He somehow appeared so young to her—even though he was two years older. He just seemed like a little boy who put up this Big Front.

He looked up, regaining composure. "They're great. I blow her mind."

Callie folded her arms. "Uh huh," her voice raised an octave in disbelief as she teased him. "You did?"

"Damn right I did!" Mark bellowed. "Why? Did she say otherwise?"

"No," Callie chuckled.

"See! Told you!"

Callie asked the bartender for another drink and took a long sip.

"So," Mark began. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Who are you seeing?" Mark clarified. "Give me the Callie Torres scoop!" he wiggled his eyebrows.

And, boy, Callie did not want to get into _that_. Who she was seeing wasn't the problem; it was who she _wasn't_ seeing. Because, despite the fact that she had accepted Arizona's rejection, she still didn't understand it. And she didn't like it. Because, _man_ , that woman was special. Callie knew that from the second she'd seen her. "I'm not seeing anyone."

Mark crossed his arms. "But you want to be."

Callie raised her eyebrows at him. He was oddly good at reading people. "Yes," she sighed. "I want to be."

"You're going to have to give me more than that," Mark insisted. "We can only cement this friendship by trusting each other. And I already told you something. It's your turn."

"Fine," Callie pouted. "I met this junior—Arizona—the other day at Kreuzberg's, and we really hit it off. And I asked her out and she was really gung ho about it, but then last night, she said she'd changed her mind and that we shouldn't date."

"She doesn't like you? You're hot! What's wrong with the woman?"

Callie shook her head. "I don't think that's the problem. She said that she _did_ like me, but then she said we should just be friends."

Mark clicked his tongue.

"What?"

"Do you like her?"

Callie answered immediately, "Yes! Well, no. Ugh. I don't know. I don't know her well. But I thought we had a connection. You know?"

Mark nodded. "You've got to figure out if she thinks you're hot, then. Because if she does, then being her friend will pay off."

Callie furrowed her brows.

"Think about it, Torres! As friends, you'll trust each other and talk, and then you'll have sleepovers, and watch movies together, and hang out all the time. Maybe have a pillow fight," he winked. "My point is, if you're attracted to each other, something will happen sooner or later."

"Mark, I had no idea you were so sensitive," Callie ribbed. "But, seriously, that works?"

Mark laughed. "I have no idea. No one just wants to be friends with me."

Callie rolled her eyes.

"But I do know women," Mark continued. "When they say they like you, they like you. And, as your friend, anyone would be crazy not to want to date you. So stick with this."

Callie giggled. "Okay, you've won me over." She took another gulp of her drink. She wiggled her finger in front of Mark's face, slurring, "I hereby dub thee good enough for Addison!"

Mark threw his head back and laughed. "You're drunk?! Already?!"

When Callie smiled, her nose wrinkled like a bunny. "A liiiiiiiittle tipsy."

Mark looked over her shoulder, spotting red hair. "Is that—" The woman turned towards them, and Mark shook his head. It wasn't Addison. "Never mind."

Callie looked over her shoulder and towards Mark's gaze and positively yelped at what she saw. Because—not twenty feet from her—was Arizona.

"What?" Mark asked.

"That's her," Callie breathed.

"Arizona?"

Callie nodded.

"The blondie?"

Callie's heart was exploding in her chest. She felt her temperature raise, and she desperately tried to slow her suddenly erratic breathing. How was it possible that Arizona already had this strong of a physical effect on her?

"She's smoking hot," Mark observed, running his eyes down Arizona's body. "Good job." When Callie didn't answer, he eyed her, "Are you okay?"

Callie gulped loudly. "What do I do?" she whispered.

"Say hi!" Mark insisted.

Callie shook her head. "Can't. Drunk." Even as she acknowledged that, though, she reached for her drink. _No no no no no no_. She was not supposed to see Arizona tonight.

She turned back to stare at Arizona from across the room. She looked incredible. Then again, Callie figured that she always did. Still, tonight, she was dressed in skinny navy jeans, heeled knee-high boots, and a top that hugged her curves perfectly, leaving little to the imagination. Callie was thankful for that, because _man_ , her body was flawless.

But after a minute, she caught the eye of the redhead who was standing beside Arizona. And she saw her get Arizona's attention to presumably point out the two creepy people— Mark and Callie—unabashedly staring at them.

"Um, Arizona," April began softly.

"April, I need us not to talk until I have a drink in my hand."

"Okay, but..." she pointed towards the brunette sitting at the bar, who had quickly turned away. "That lady's staring at us."

Arizona stiffened. Because—though she couldn't see her face—she immediately knew it was Callie. Those curves, that luscious raven hair... There was no way it could be anyone else. When April knit her eyebrows together questioningly, Arizona sucked in a deep breath and admitted, "That's Callie."

April's mouth fell open, and she unknowingly did a little skip. "It's Callie?! Oh my gosh!"

"Shhhh," Arizona insisted. "Maybe she won't see us." She _knew_ that it wouldn't be a good idea to run into Callie. Not after last night. Not yet. She had heard how hurt Callie had been, and she didn't want to make it worse. She had planned on calling later that night, but calling and seeing each other at a bar were two very, very different things. And, with Callie looking the way she did, Arizona wasn't sure she'd have the self-control to keep things "friendly." She wasn't sure if she wanted to.

"Arizona, we have to go over there!"

"Whyyy?" Arizona whined.

"She saw us! Come on." April dragged a protesting Arizona towards the bar and swiftly stuck her hand out towards Callie. "April Kepner," she chirped. "You must be Callie."

"Yes...?" Callie questioned, looking towards Arizona, who looked like she was trying to hide behind her friend. She turned back to the redhead. "Callie Torres. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Mark Sloan," Mark asserted.

"Oh, uh," April turned towards him. "It's nice to meet you."

Mark grinned, suddenly turning on his charm. "What do you say to a game of darts, April?"

"I, uh," April looked towards Arizona, who was eyeing Callie in awkward silence. "I should—"

"Nah," Mark waved her off. "Callie'll take care of her. Isn't that right, Cal?"

Callie's eyes were fixed on Arizona. Finally, she agreed. "Right."

Before April could protest further, Mark insisted, "Come on," and led her away from Callie and Arizona, widening his eyes at his friend as he left.

After a minute, Arizona seemed to snap out of a trance. She met Callie's eyes. _Those_ eyes. She felt her heart speed up as soon as they met hers. "Hi."

"Hi," Callie smiled nervously.

"Can I sit?" Arizona's voice was quiet. She seemed somehow scared, and Callie wasn't used to that.

"Sure," Callie quickly agreed. "How are you?"

Arizona shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to talk things out with Callie. She wasn't ready for that. She flagged down a bartender, then looked at Callie. "Right now? Thirsty," she grinned, and the smile Callie returned made Arizona's heart take off in her chest.

 _Damn it, Arizona_ , she thought. _Mind over matter. Dating someone, regardless of what April says, isn't a good idea. Come on, now. Soldier up_.

As soon as a shot of tequila was placed in front of her, she downed it, making a face as the alcohol seared her throat. Callie watched her in fascination. She had figured Arizona to be more a fruity drink kind of girl. "Tequila's your drink of choice?"

Arizona blushed. "Not usually."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then, "So, _friend_ ," Callie offered pointedly. "What brings you to Joe's this lovely Thursday evening?"

Arizona looked at her, trying to read Callie's face. Instantly, she could see how confused and hurt Callie was but how much she was trying to hide it. She was amazed by how open the brunette was; everything she felt was always evident. Just in those eyes alone, Arizona felt like she could see all of her. But she wanted more. She wanted to know more. And she didn't _want_ to want that. Because she didn't want to end up hurt again.

"Callie..." she began, guilt evident in her voice.

Callie attempted to smile. "Hey, it's okay. I mean it. We can be friends."

Arizona implored her face, looking for a sign of deception. Just like at their first meeting, she found nothing but genuineness.

Arizona sighed, accepting Callie's words. "Okay," she breathed. She downed another shot, coughing, then turned back to Callie, who was clearly sizing her up. Arizona felt her entire body flush just from _the look_ Callie was giving her. She cleared her throat, and the brunette widened her eyes in embarrassment.

Callie swallowed audibly. "As, um, your friend, you look really pretty."

And, God, Arizona felt herself turn even redder. At those words, her stomach flipped and her fingers tingled and all she wanted to do was reach out for Callie and touch her. Anywhere.

Arizona took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. No. She could not and would not touch Callie. No good would come of it. She couldn't let down her guard entirely.

"Is that weird?" Callie asked, wringing her hands together, when Arizona didn't say anything.

"It's not weird," Arizona smiled reassuringly. "You look pretty, too. Really, _really_ pretty," she clarified. Because it was true.

And now Callie was blushing. And she was not a person who blushed. But, somehow, the blonde made her feel naked and exposed constantly, with just one look.

Carefully, she attempted to steer the conversation into a "friendlier" direction. Because nothing about the way Arizona was making her feel felt friendly. It felt like much, much, _much_ more. "So," she prompted. "Is April your friend?"

Arizona nodded, relieved in a change of subject. She needed a distraction from the caramel skin of Callie's chest...

"She's my roommate and best friend," Arizona clarified. "What about 'Mark Sloan'?" she impersonated, raising an eyebrow.

Callie laughed. "I told you how I just started talking to him yesterday. But, yeah, I guess he's a friend. He can actually be pretty funny," Callie laughed, thinking back to their rehearsal antics, and Arizona reveled in the sound, swallowing it up and wishing for more.

Callie didn't miss the way Arizona looked at her when she laughed. The look had to mean something. Right?

Suddenly, Mark and April stumbled towards them, laughing. Now _that_ is an unexpected allyship, Callie and Arizona both thought.

"Get up," Mark insisted. "We're thirsty, and there are no other seats available."

"Yeah," April seconded. "Go dance."

Arizona eyed her best friend, like, _What the hell_? while Callie did the same to Mark, but neither woman got more than a wink in return.

When neither Callie nor Arizona made an effort to move, Mark insisted, "Come on, Cal! I saw you dance in Maria's little nun outfit today. Show Blondie your moves!"

This time, both Callie and Arizona glared at him.

"Mark, I—" she looked nervously towards Arizona. "I think we're good here."

Arizona exhaled in surrender when she noticed Callie and Mark's silent argument—and when April knocked her out of her chair. "Callie, it's fine. Friends dance, right?" she heard the uneasiness in her voice, and she squared her shoulders as she tried to exude self-assuredness. Despite the fact that she could feel her blood pumping in her ears from just the idea of being so close to Callie.

Callie looked at her, trying to read her eyes. Arizona was so guarded, and Callie had no idea what she was thinking. "Um..." she began nervously. "Right."

Arizona smiled and held out her hand for Callie to take. Callie looked at it like it might bite her, because if the blonde looking at her alone could give her high blood pressure, what could her skin do? She shivered at the thought of touching Arizona—all of her—and finally reached out to take the offered hand.

Arizona felt shockwaves through her arm. She looked down at Callie's hand, now enveloped in her own and was amazed in how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

Though she couldn't admit it, Callie was amazed, too. How many times had she kissed someone and felt nothing at all? Yet, here she was, barely touching Arizona, and she felt like she was descending in a roller coaster at Disney World. That had to be a sign, right? Of something?

"Come on," Arizona breathed, gesturing her head towards where other people were dancing. She led Callie towards the middle of the other couples and regretfully dropped her hand.

Callie usually felt pretty confident about her dancing abilities, but she suddenly found herself nervous under Arizona's watchful eyes. She stood stick still, staring at the blonde in front of her.

"You should know," Arizona joked, trying to ease the tension. "I dance about as well as I find a seat in crowded cafes."

Callie tossed her head back and laughed. "I can show you, if you want."

Arizona nodded, and she watched as Callie began to move to the rhythm of the music, swaying her hips and bringing her arms over her head, closing her eyes so that she could feel the beat. Letting go.

Arizona lipped her lips unconsciously. Callie was beautiful.

She attempted to follow Callie's lead, swaying her hips and trying to feel the beat, and she felt like she looked pretty good when Callie opened her eyes and let out a trilling giggle.

"What?" Arizona asked, blushing.

"Nothing," Callie shook her head.

Arizona eyed her questioningly.

"You're really, really bad," Callie admitted, but she managed to say it in a way that made it seem as if she found Arizona's inability to dance endearing.

"Teach me then!" Arizona insisted. Wasn't there a quote that said that there are no bad students, only bad teachers? She'd have to look it up later.

"Turn around," Callie offered.

"Wh—" Arizona began, but before she knew it, Callie had grabbed her by the hips and shifted her body so that it was directly in front of the Latina's.

Arizona felt her breath hitch at the feeling of Callie's hands on her. Even though Callie's body was a few inches from her own, she could feel the heat radiating off it. She could smell her sweet, sweet perfume. She inhaled deeply, wanting to take in Callie's entire essence.

This wasn't friendly. Arizona knew that. But it felt so damn good.

Callie manipulated Arizona's hips so that they moved as one body, rather than two, as she breathed in the flowery scent of blonde hair. It smelled really, really good. "How's this?" she husked into the blonde's ear.

Arizona shuddered. She turned her head, meeting darkened eyes. She looked down at soft lips and thought about how amazing they'd feel on hers. Carefully, she brought her eyes back up to meet Callie's. "You're a really good dancer," she breathed onto a caramel cheek.

And then Callie's lips were closer. Impossibly closer. And Callie's head was tilting and Arizona's jaw was lifting and her heart was hammering in her chest and _those lips those eyes those lips_ were so close to her that she could feel Callie's breathing. She felt her heart lurch over how much she wanted those lips on hers.

On her anywhere, really. Anywhere and everywhere.

And _those lips_ were centimeters from Arizona's, and her eyes were closing, and suddenly, the song was ending and everyone was clapping and the spell was broken.

Arizona pulled back, coming out of the trance that was Callie Torres. "It's getting late."

Callie stiffened. "Right."

Arizona smiled apologetically, forcing herself not to look at Callie's lips. If she did, there was no way she'd ever be able to maintain self control. There was no way she'd ever be able to deny her. Or herself. "I should go."

* * *

 **Don't hate me for this! Good things are coming! Slowly but surely, they'll get there :)**

 **P.S., if anyone's interested in following my tumblr, the URL is "mermaidsocks."**

 **Let me know what you think! Reviews are always appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Arizona!" April called, running after the blonde. "Wait up!"

Arizona made no move to let up on her persistent speed-walking. She was wired to run when things got scary; and the feelings Callie had been giving her while they danced had most certainly, without a doubt, been scary.

At the corner of the crosswalk, Arizona suddenly came to an abrupt stop, and April ran into her back. "Wow," she steadied herself. "What was that in there?! You looked like you were having a good time, and then you just ran out! It was kind of rude," she scowled.

"I don't want to talk about it," Arizona huffed.

As they crossed the street, April tried in vain to catch her best friend's eye. "I saw you two dancing."

Arizona kept her eyes fixed forward.

"You're even more attracted to her than I thought. And she obviously likes you."

"We're just friends," Arizona insisted. "We agreed on it."

April ran in front of Arizona, blocking her path. "You know neither of you want that."

"April," Arizona crossed her arms. "I already told you that I can't—"

"I know," April interrupted. "I'm your best friend. I know. I understand where you're coming from." She sighed, her eyes pleading. "I know you're scared of loving someone again. I know you're scared of getting hurt."

Arizona looked down at the dirty sidewalk. She couldn't meet April's eyes. She didn't want to talk about it.

"But I think you're more scared of someone loving you."

Arizona's head whipped up at the shock of unexpected words.

"Right?"

Arizona's face was carved out of marble; unchanging.

"Arizona," April whispered. "You deserve to be loved." Her voice was a comforting bedtime story, and before Arizona could stop them, she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Call Callie," April continued. "Tell her you don't hate her. Invite her to hang out or something. At least be friends. Don't just run away."

Slowly, Arizona nodded. Because as much as her pride was telling her to fight April on this and just forget about Callie, stay _safe,_ and just make art and never love anyone except for her parents and April, she really, really, genuinely _liked_ Callie. She liked talking to her.

And, if she were perfectly honest with herself, she liked looking at Callie. The way her thick hair tumbled over her shoulders, and the way her legs seemed to go on forever. The way her magical eyes were a decadent dark chocolate. And those perfect lips. Just thinking about how close Callie's lips had been to her own made her entire body tingle with anticipation.

Which wasn't friendly. Arizona knew that. She knew that she _did_ like Callie as more than a friend; there was no freakin' way she could deny that after dancing with her. Because Callie made her feel something she'd never felt before. Not even with Carly.

Which, okay, was terrifying. But maybe—maybe—it was a sign that they could be something special. Something more. One day.

"You're right," Arizona acquiesced. "I'll call as soon as we get home."

"Yaaaay!" April cheered, hugging her. Arizona laughed as she hugged her best friend back. She didn't know what she did to deserve a friend like April, but she mentally thanked the universe for the redhead's existence.

April pulled back and grabbed Arizona's hand, skipping forward. "Let's get home, then! Hurry!"

* * *

After Arizona ran off, Callie wasn't in the mood to stay and chat with Mark. It had started out as a good night. And, it could have ended really, really good, had Arizona not run out of the bar as fast as her painfully flawless toned legs could take her. Callie cringed at the memory of the blonde running off as if she'd just found out Callie was a leper. Not a good memory.

Callie had tried to keep things friendly and to respect Arizona's boundaries, but then they had started dancing, and she just couldn't. There was something about the blonde. Callie couldn't help but touch her, even after she had promised herself that they would maintain a respectable distance from one another.

Because she wanted to respect Arizona's wishes. She wanted to be friends; it was better than being nothing at all.

But Callie couldn't just pretend she wasn't physically attracted to her. She was really, really, really attracted to her. Nevertheless, she knew that friends couldn't just lean towards each other's lips, and she cursed herself for almost kissing the blonde. That wasn't friendly behavior, and it had sent Arizona running.

 _I'm an idiot_ , Callie thought. She set her phone on her nightstand and climbed into bed, heaving the comforter over her head. She needed to hide from this day. This night. If Arizona wanted to just be friends, then fine. Callie would try. She'd try to bury her feelings. She'd try to do better.

As she settled deeper into bed, though, she heard her phone vibrating beside her. "Ughhhh," she groaned as she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Callie?" came a careful voice from the other end.

Callie instantly recognized it. "Arizona. Hi."

"Hi," Arizona peeped. "I, um, wanted to apologize for running off earlier."

Callie sat up in bed, crossing her legs. "Hey, it's fine. I should be the one apologizing."

"Why?" Arizona asked, surprised.

Callie shrugged unintentionally. "I don't know. I shouldn't have tried to teach you how to dance." She awkwardly chuckled.

"You have no reason to apologize," Arizona insisted. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it."

Callie felt her cheeks flush. How did Arizona _do that_? How could she so easily make Callie feel like her stomach was a bottle of bubbling champagne?

When Callie didn't answer, Arizona carefully continued. "I like you, Callie."

Her voice was so small, Callie wasn't even sure she heard correctly. "As a friend?" she asked to clarify, because even though she prayed Arizona's answer would be "No, as more than a friend" she needed to know where they stood. She needed to know just how much she needed to reign in her libido. And, more importantly, her emotions.

Because Callie knew that she fell hard and fast. She always had. She wasn't one to ever "kind of" like someone; she was either not interested at all or completely enamored. Hooked like an addict. Stuck like glue.

It scared some people away, but it was just the way Callie was. And, though she wasn't in love with Arizona, she knew she could be. Easily.

So she needed to know where they stood. She needed to know how careful she would have to be with her heart.

Arizona didn't answer right away, though Callie could hear her breathing on the other end. "Arizona?" she questioned, not sure if the blonde had heard her.

"As," Arizona cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. "As more than a friend." It sounded like a confession.

Callie felt a smile spread across her face before she could even stop it. Because _hell yes_. Yes, yes, yes! She wanted to squeal in delight. That had not been the answer she'd been expecting. It was so, so much better.

Trying to keep her cool, Callie whispered, "Okay." Because, well, Arizona already knew how Callie felt. The whole bar probably knew after seeing them dance.

"But I was hoping..." Arizona's voice faded out, and Callie could sense that this was hard for her.

She rolled onto her stomach. "Hoping what? You can tell me."

"I was hoping that— that maybe we could be friends...first? I just don't know if I'm ready to—I— I don't know if I'm ready to jump into...anything that might not work out. Is that okay?"

 _YES that was okay_ , Callie thought. It wasn't a bad idea. It'd give them each a chance to protect their hearts.

As much as Callie wanted the physical aspect with Arizona, she already knew that it wasn't _all_ she wanted. She wanted to know about her. She wanted to try to understand her. She wanted the emotional connection and the fun and the intimacy—not just the sex.

While that worked for some people (Mark, for example), Callie already knew that she was attracted to _all_ of the blonde. Her body and her head and heart. So the idea was more than okay. It just meant more time for them to get to know each other.

"Callie?" Arizona worried when the brunette didn't answer.

Callie quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts. "That's more than okay, Arizona. That sounds amazing."

"Oh. Good," Arizona countered, pleasant surprise evident in her tone. "So, did you still want to get drinks on Saturday night?"

Callie laughed. "I think it might be a good idea to stay away from that bar for a week or two, being that we're trying to be strictly _friends_ for the time being."

Arizona blushed. "Right."

"But, you could come over? I can show you my apartment, and we could make dinner and watch a scary movie. I love doing that with friends."

Arizona whimpered at the mere thought of a scary movie, and Callie melted. The sound was really, really cute. "I'll protect you; don't worry," she added, then rolled her eyes at herself. _Friendly, Callie. Remember_?

But the implication didn't seem to bother Arizona, and she just giggled. "Sounds fun." She paused, and Callie waited. "Listen, I've gotta sleep off this tequila, but text me your address and the details, okay?"

Callie eagerly nodded. "Okay! I will. See you Saturday!"

"See you Saturday!"

Callie hung up and rolled over in bed. Okay, so it wasn't a _date_ date, but it was hanging out—potentially alone, in her apartment—with Arizona. The woman who she liked. The woman who _liked_ her. As more than a friend. She put her cold hands over her hot, flushed face and tried to take deep breaths to slow her erratic heart. Because Arizona! Was coming over! In two days!

And because this was progress. This was what she had been hoping for.

She rolled over onto her side, thinking about Arizona's big, beautiful blue eyes as she closed her own. She fell asleep smiling.

Little did she know: so did Arizona.

* * *

The past day and a half had been busy for Callie. She'd had a four hour rehearsal (though, thankfully, Erica hadn't gone), a mountain of homework, and she'd acceded to going out with Cristina and Addison for a long, drunken evening the night before. And, while Cristina nursed her hangover, Callie had to clean their messy apartment in preparation for Arizona.

Callie had always been a fairly neat, organized person, but she had learned very quickly that Cristina did not share those desirable traits. Because where Callie saw the floor as a place to keep clear and walk on, Cristina saw it as the perfect place to throw down everything she owned: bags, sweatshirts, coats, assignments—all over their apartment.

So Callie had been begun picking up that morning, and she continued cleaning now as Cristina watched her from where she was lounging on the couch. "You missed a spot," Cristina yawned, unenthusiastically pointing towards a spot on the coffee table Callie was wiping down.

"Thanks," Callie huffed in exasperation. "We're watching a movie in here tonight, by the way, so what are you going to do?"

"Are you making food?"

"Yes."

"Can I eat it?"

"Not...with us," Callie offered a pleading smile.

Cristina crossed her arms in mock offense. "So, you're basically banishing me to my room so that you can 'be friends' with painter girl?"

Callie smiled shyly. "Maybe." When Cristina crossed her arms over her chest, Callie begged, "Pleeease!"

"Fiiine," Cristina got up from the couch. "I've got work to do, anyway. But you better make enough for leftovers."

Callie laughed. "Done! Unless I get lazy and just order a pizza."

"You better share!" Cristina called as she locked herself in her room.

And, suddenly, Callie realized how late it had gotten. Quickly, she changed into fairly casual jeans, flats, and a somewhat conservative top. She wanted tonight's non-date to be comfortable and _friendly_. As little temptation as possible would be best for them both.

She sat at her desk and began working on her "Death of a Salesman" essay, knees bouncing, as she waited for a knock on the door.

* * *

As much as Arizona reminded herself that this wasn't a date, it still somehow _felt_ like a date. She'd changed her clothes twice and might have tried to cancel if April hadn't all but pushed her out the door.

It wasn't just the idea of seeing where Callie lived and then curling up and watching a movie with her. It was also the idea of being her friend. Anyone's friend, really. Because, as much as Arizona liked to deny it, she was out of practice. She had known April since her freshman year when things were incredibly different. Arizona had gone home for the holidays, she'd Skyped her brother every week, and her heart hadn't been tainted by Carly's antics. She'd been innocent, idealistic, and open—much more so than now, anyway. The fact was that, although she had many acquaintances and everyone genuinely liked her, she didn't have many _friends_. And now, she wasn't sure if she remembered how to make a friend.

But, there she was, standing in front of Callie's door, facing her fears. Callie somehow made Arizona want to face her fears. _Callie's worth it_ , she thought, then she caught herself. How on earth was she falling for her _this quickly_?

With trepidation, she brought a shaking fist up to the door and knocked. Twice.

She bounced on her heels as she heard someone walking towards the door. _Breathe, Arizona, breathe. Soldier up. Come on. You're fine_.

Callie swung open the door wearing the brightest smile Arizona had ever seen. "Hi," she breathed, her voice a mixture of subdued excitement and anxiety.

"Hi," Arizona dimpled. She ran her eyes down Callie's body, unconsciously licking her lips as she admired the woman's curves.

Callie's face flushed as she noted the blonde's obvious appraisal, and she quickly took a second to appreciate how Arizona looked; she looked really, really good. Finally, Callie held the door open wider and motioned her inside. "Come in!"

Arizona smiled a "thanks" as she slowly walked into the small apartment, taking it in.

Following close behind her, Callie held out her arms by means of introduction. "Well," she began. "This is it!"

Arizona smiled at the modern, edgy, almost "frowny" feel of the place. It was so different from her own bright and shiny apartment, where there were lots of pastels and light, but this was just so _Callie_. It somehow suited her. "I love it," she admired truthfully. She turned to face Callie and grinned. "Give me a quick tour?"

"Happily," Callie curtsied, then chastised herself. _Seriously? A curtsy_? Trying to regain control, she admitted, "It's going to be a pretty quick tour." She pointed out the living room, equipped with a couch and TV; the adjoining kitchen and three-stool bar; the tiny bathroom; pointed out Cristina's room; and, finally, led the blonde into her own.

"Well, that's it," she shrugged, ready to start actually _talking_ to Arizona and getting this  whatever it was started.

But Arizona seemed intrigued, as she walked deeper into Callie's room: taking in the posters from Broadway shows, the desk overflowing with books, and the big, well-made bed. She turned to look at Callie and smiled. "I like your room."

And her voice was so soft and sincere and just personal that it made Callie's face heat up. Callie wanted to roll her eyes at herself. _Come oooon_. She cleared her throat. "Thanks."

She watched as Arizona ghosted her fingers down the spine of a worn book, and she shivered at the thought of the blonde doing the same to her. "Were you, um, hungry? I could order that pizza I owe you."

And Arizona was dazzling, looking at her through a curtain of blonde hair. "Sounds good. Let's go."

Together, they walked into the kitchen, where Callie quickly ordered a cheese pizza from her favorite place and Arizona continued to take in Callie's humble abode. It was strangely invigorating, being here: smelling Callie's sweet scent and admiring her most prized possessions. It was intimate. Friendly. She found that she wanted to know more about Callie.

Callie set down the phone. "Forty-five minute wait," she pouted. "What do you want to do in the meantime?"

Arizona shrugged. "Get to know each other?"

And then Callie's heart was working double-time, because Arizona Robbins wanted to get to know her. She nodded and led them over to the plushy couch to sit down.

"So," Callie prompted. "Tell me you things."

"Tell you 'me things'?" Arizona smirked.

"Yeah!" Callie insisted, unconcerned. "You know, about your family, about your past, about your life. Friends know things about each other," she winked.

And there it was. That feeling of fireworks going off in Arizona's stomach. That's what Callie's wink did to her. "Okay, Callie I-Still-Want-To-Know-Your-Middle-Name Torres, what do you want to know?"

Callie tapped her chin in feigned deep thought. "Do you have any siblings?"

Arizona smiled. "Yeah, I have a—" suddenly, she paused, remembering. _Tim is dead._ "I mean, no. I'm an only child."

Callie looked at her questioningly, but Arizona made no move to explain why her response had seemingly contradicted itself.

"What about you?" She quickly deflected.

Callie nodded. "An older sister. Aria."

"What's she like?" Arizona wanted more. She wanted to know more about Callie.

"She's amazing," Callie informed her, admiration clear in her tone. She looked down at her hands in nervousness. "She's kind of my hero. She's two years older and at Harvard. She wants to be a lawyer."

Arizona widened her eyes. "Impressive."

"I know. She was always that cool girl in school, but she was genuinely _nice_ , you know? She kept people from picking on me and my drama geek friends," Callie grinned, and Arizona smiled back. She didn't want to think about Tim. Not now.

"What about your parents?" Arizona asked. "Tell me about them."

Callie frowned, her mood souring. She didn't like to talk about her parents. It just made her feel sad and lonely and _lost_. Like an puppy left out in the street just because it wouldn't play fetch like the owners had wanted it to.

Arizona looked at Callie, who now looked like a lost puppy. Arizona suddenly had the urge to reach out and hug her, and Arizona was not a hugger. Her mother was, April was, but generally, _she_ wasn't. Before she could help herself, she reached out and grabbed Callie's hand, squeezing it. She felt her own skin tingle at the feeling of Callie's.

Callie lifted her head in surprise, then abruptly looked down at Arizona's hand covering her own.

"You don't have to tell me," Arizona whispered carefully. "I'd understand. Trust me."

Callie shook her head, squeezing Arizona's hand back to make sure she wouldn't try to move it. "I want to. It's just... We haven't talked in two years." At the admittance, she felt tears burn her eyes. _Ughhhh_ , she thought to herself. _Don't cry! You'll freak her out_!

But Arizona just waited, her eyes never breaking from Callie's. She couldn't get over how beautiful the brunette was, even with tears in her eyes.

"They, um, didn't support me pursuing Theater. They said I was 'disgracing the Torres Legacy' by not becoming a doctor, or a lawyer, or an engineer, and they said that if I went through with it, they'd cut me off." And they had. Even when Aria had tried to defend Callie, her parents hadn't budged.

Callie had been so heartbroken by the idea of not being close with her parents that she'd even considered following her friends' advice and lying about it. In the end, though, she couldn't do that. Her parents were supposed to love and support her no matter what. She couldn't just lie about her dream.

"But obviously I went through with it, and we haven't talked since," Callie took a deep, steadying breath and attempted to smile. "That's why I have to work so many odd jobs. School's expensive."

Arizona just gave her a soft smile, not knowing what to say. She couldn't imagine how that must have felt for Callie. Her own parents had always been supportive of her dreams. When she was eight, she had been oddly in awe of trash collectors (mostly, she'd thought the trash compactor in the truck had been cool), and she'd insisted that she, too, wanted to become a trash collector when she grew up. Instead of her dad waving her off or telling her that she shouldn't want to, he'd just said, " _If that's what ends up making you happy, then we'll support you, Princess._ " And Arizona knew that he'd meant that.

"Callie," Arizona breathed. "I'm so sorry." She looked down at their hands and lightly rubbed her thumb against Callie's skin, feeling how warm and soft it was. She wished that she could take away Callie's pain.

"It's okay," Callie straightened, trying to regain a sense of centeredness. "Your turn."

Arizona gulped. "I haven't seen my parents in a long time either."

"Why not?" Callie prompted curiously.

Arizona paused. She'd never talked about this. Not to anyone but April. Ever.

It'd been a long year of mashing her feelings down and compartmentalizing. It'd been a long time since she'd let anyone in. She hadn't since Carly. Since Tim.

But Callie had let her in. Callie was here, holding Arizona's hand and looking at her with such intensity.

And, in that moment, Arizona wanted to tell her everything.

She at least wanted to tell Callie _something_. Friendship—and, one day, maybe _more_ than friendship—was about letting someone else in. It was about not having to carry the burden of one's pain alone. So she had to try.

"I, um, haven't seen them in over a year. I stayed here for an internship last summer, and I was supposed to go home a few weeks ago for Winter Break, but I told them that I had to stay and work on stuff."

Callie's eyes stayed fixed on her, and Arizona felt like they were looking directly through her.

"It's not that we're fighting," she quickly added. "We're not. We talk on the phone every week. I just—I can't go home."

Callie was so close to her that she could feel the heat emanating from her thigh. Callie felt the heat of Arizona's leg beside hers, too, and she fought the urge to rest her other hand over it. She so badly wanted to reach out for the blonde and comfort her, tell her it was okay, but she could sense that Arizona didn't want that. She needed her space in order to get this out—whatever _this_ ended up being.

Finally, Arizona choked out the truth: "Tim—my brother—was killed in action in Afghanistan a year ago. December 29th would have marked the one year anniversary since his death, and I just couldn't be home for that." Hesitantly, she met Callie's worried watchful eyes.

With a voice so quiet that she didn't even recognize it as her own, Arizona admitted, "I haven't been home since the day of his funeral reception."

When Arizona brought her eyes up to Callie's again, the brunette's breath hitched. More than anything, she wished she could wrap her arms around Arizona and squeeze the pain out of her. She wished pain were somehow transferable and that she could take the blonde's pain and put it on herself.

In that moment, Callie would have gladly taken a lifetime of sadness if it meant never having to see that pain in Arizona's clear blue eyes again.

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected their night to be quite so...heavy. It was a surprise, but she found that she wasn't disappointed by it. She wanted to know Arizona—all of her—and slowly, she was beginning to. Finally, she responded honestly, "That sucks."

"Yeah," Arizona's response was a mixture of a laugh and a dry sob. Mostly, it was a sob. But she felt oddly comforted by those two simple words. Dozens of people had said they were "sorry for your loss" or offered "my condolences," but no one had ever acknowledged the truth about Tim's death: that it sucked.

Arizona somehow felt better, just at hearing those honest, true words.

For a few minutes, the women just sat in heavy, comfortable silence, until Callie said, "Thank you."

Arizona met kind brown eyes.

"For telling me," Callie clarified. "About Tim." Arizona flinched at hearing his name. "I know that must have been hard."

Slowly, Arizona nodded. "I don't talk about him. To anyone."

Callie slowly and teasingly smiled. "So I'm no one?"

Arizona bit her bottom lip, her eyes moving from Callie's eyes down to her soft lips and infectious smile. "No. You're definitely not no one."

And that was all it took for Callie's smile to falter in pleased surprise and for her cheeks to flush. Arizona loved watching the change. She loved how much Callie's expressive face always gave away her emotions.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Callie regretfully removed her hand from Arizona's still-tight hold. "Pizza!"

While she paid the deliveryman, Arizona stood up and searched for paper towels and plates. Callie turned towards her and smiled at how natural the blonde looked in her kitchen. "Couch or bar?" she asked.

Arizona looked up. "Couch."

Callie nodded and sat down where she'd been before, tossing the pizza pox onto the table and opening the lid.

Arizona sat down beside her, almost humming in anticipation. She was starving, and cheese pizza was her favorite. Instantly, she and Callie reached for a slice and bit down.

"Thanks for buying pizza," Arizona recognized, her mouth full.

"A little bird told me you like it," Callie grinned.

Arizona grinned back, already reaching for a second slice.

"So," Callie volunteered. "What do you say we make tonight a little more fun?"

Arizona nodded eagerly. "I don't think I can handle any more talk about our messed up families tonight."

Callie sighed. "I know." She paused before exclaiming, "Good thing I have dozens of scary movie DVDs!"

Arizona groaned. "You were serious about that?"

"Yeah," Callie knit her eyebrows together. "They're cool. I promise."

"Okaaay," Arizona teased, her voice sarcastic.

Callie looked askance. "Seriously," she insisted, getting up, finding a movie, and slipping it into the DVD player. When she walked back to the couch, she grabbed the plush fleece throw blanket from the back of the couch and handed it to Arizona, who laid it over her legs and offered some to Callie, who quickly accepted.

As the opening scene of "Evil Dead" began, Callie watched Arizona as she slowly brought the blanket higher and higher until only her eyes were left uncovered. By now, Callie had the movie memorized, and watching the blonde's reactions were far more entertaining. So, while Arizona's eyes remained wide and fixed on the screen, Callie's remained on her.

When, out of nowhere, a possessed, dead ghost girl brutally murdered one of the main characters, Arizona let out a blood curdling scream that could have wakened the all the world's remaining dead right then and there.

"Hey," Callie chuckled, reaching out to put her hand on Arizona's thigh in comfort. "It's okay."

When Arizona felt a hand on her, she yelped, screaming again and hiding her head beneath the blanket.

This time, Callie couldn't help but let out a loud guffaw. Because, come on! Arizona had to be the most adorably wimpy person ever.

Arizona pulled the blanket back down and looked at Callie, scowling. "Don't laugh."

Callie put her hands up. "Hey, I'm sorry. I was just trying to offer a little protection."

Arizona "hmphed," and all Callie wanted to do was lean over and kiss her.

"Really," Callie sobered. "I'm sorry." She offered out her hand as a peace offering.

After a second of stillness, Arizona conceded and reached out for it. "Fine," she glowered, but really, she was trying to hide her smile. She added, "I'll forgive you, _if_ you come and sit closer. I need someone to hide behind if she comes for us."

Callie shook her head in mock exasperation. "So you're going to sacrifice me?"

Arizona shrugged coyly. "You can stay there if you prefer."

This time, it was Callie's turn to scowl. She didn't like that idea one bit. Immediately, she scooted her body several feet over, only stopping once she felt Arizona's warm leg against her own. "Better?" she husked.

Suddenly overcome by Callie's almost intoxicatingly amazing scent, all Arizona could do was nod before she turned back towards the movie. As much as she wanted to dissolve into Callie, wrap her arms around her, and kiss those soft, soft lips, she knew that she wasn't ready. Not yet. So she had to resist temptation. And all the gore on screen was certainly helping with that.

They watched the rest of the movie, only withdrawing from comfortable silence when Arizona screamed in fear or Callie laughed at her, until finally, the credits came on screen.

"Sooo," Callie wiggled. "What'd ya think?"

Arizona raised her eyebrows. "Honestly?"

Callie nodded, grinning.

"That was _traumatic_ ," Arizona admitted. "I don't see how you can like stuff like that!"

Callie just waved her off, unconcerned. "You'll learn to love 'em."

"Are you going to make me watch _more_?" Arizona challenged.

"We'll take turns," Callie smiled.

And the way Arizona looked at her right then, made Callie feel something she hadn't felt...ever. She felt like the blonde was looking in awe at a full moon on a clear night, but she wasn't. Arizona was looking at _her_.

Callie licked her lips, suddenly nervous. "Did you want to, um, sleep over? It's kind of late..."

Arizona's eyes widened.

"Not like that!" Callie quickly backtracked, kicking herself for the obvious implications. "I meant on the couch. Or the floor. Or my bed. You know, without me in it." She cringed.

Arizona shook her head, chuckling. "That's okay. My apartment's actually only a few blocks away. I should probably go."

"Yeah," Callie's head fell forward. She wanted more time.

Slowly, they began walking towards the door, and Arizona put her thick, long coat back on. "So, I'll see you soon?" she asked hopefully.

" _Yes_ ," Callie quickly concurred. "Maybe we'll run into each other at the cafe on Monday?"

Arizona nodded. "I'd like that."

"Me, too," Callie bit her lip.

They paused at the door, and Arizona felt her heart speed up at how close Callie was. "Callie?" she breathed.

"Hmm?" Callie stiffened, feeling her heart take off automatically at Arizona's tone.

Arizona chewed the inside of her lip, slowly moving her eyes up to meet Callie's. "This might be weird, but I—Can I hug you?"

Callie's inhaled a shuddering breath in anticipation. "Yeah," she smiled softly.

Without trepidation, Arizona curled her arms around Callie's back, molding into her as Callie bent down slightly and wrapped her arms around her slender waist, pulling them tighter together. They both reveled at the feeling of each other, inhaling each other's soft hair and smiling at how perfectly their bodies seemed to fit together.

After a long minute, Arizona finally pulled away. "I should go," her voice was breathy.

"Tonight was fun," Callie admitted. "It was funny to see you lose your cool," she joked.

Arizona pushed her arm. "Hey! Who's going to be laughing when I make _you_ watch a Disney movie next time?"

Callie groaned, but she was laughing. "Fine. Next time."

"Next time," Arizona confirmed, and finally stepped out the door that had been opened minutes ago. "So, I'll see you Monday?"

Callie nodded. "I look forward to it."

* * *

 **I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but this chapter was slower to write! It's long, though :)**

 _ **Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Seriously, even just one kind word. Make my day!**_

 **My final exams are coming up this week, so wish me luck! Hope you're all good.**

 **Oh! And if you're interested in following my tumblr, the URL is mermaidsocks :)**


	6. Chapter 6

After the movie night several weeks before, or what Callie considered to be their first _real_ foray at getting to know each other as _friends_ , she and Arizona had hung out a lot. In fact, they'd seen each other almost every day, and when they couldn't, they still would talk for at least an hour on the phone at night.

And still, Callie felt this strange tickle in the pit of her stomach every time she so much as heard the blonde's voice. Actually being in her presence made her felt like she might combust—in a good way.

She knew, without a doubt, that she was falling for Arizona. But Arizona wanted to go slow, to establish a friendship before jumping into anything, so that was fine. Callie could wait. At least a little longer.

This was what she was thinking about as she walked home from rehearsal. It was still early enough in the semester that she and Erica didn't have corresponding rehearsal times, thankfully. So far, with the help of Mark, Callie had been able to avoid her entirely. She didn't want an apology or explanation from her ex-girlfriend. Merely hating the backstabbing bitch in silence was easier.

As the sky darkened and the sunlight ebbed, the day morphing into night, Callie regretted not bringing a thicker coat. She let her mind wander, imagining Arizona's warm form beside her, their arms slung around each other, holding each other close in the name of warding off the cold, but really just reveling in each other, and she suddenly felt warmer.

She smirked at herself, rolling her eyes. She shook her head. _Callie_ , she thought, chiding herself. _You've got it baaad_.

But she wasn't going to feel guilty for that. Arizona knew how she felt. Callie had never attempted to hide her feelings from her.

While she didn't feel guilty, though, she did feel a little silly. I mean, sure, she was nineteen years old, but still. Did she have to be so damn sappy about her feelings for the blonde? She was just such a hopeless romantic.

She had read one too many Nicholas Sparks novels.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and quickly whipped it out, grinning when she saw who was calling. "Hey, stranger."

"Hey!" She heard Arizona's voice on the other side of the line. "How was rehearsal?"

"Good," Callie smiled. Somehow, Arizona had a way of making her feel instantly better, no matter what. "Long. What's up with you?"

Arizona paused before answering, and Callie could practically feel the wheels turning in her head. "Well, um," she began. "April really wanted to get to know you at some point, so if you don't have too much homework, I was wondering if you wanted to come over? We could all watch a movie. Or, we could do something else. But you're probably busy. You don't have to..."

Callie chuckled at Arizona's nervous ramble, finding it totally, 100% adorable and only endeared her more to the other woman (how was that even possible?). "I'm actually only a few blocks from your apartment, and I'd love to see April. And you," she added.

In her apartment, Arizona smiled, flushing slightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah!" Callie assured her. "I'll be there in a few minutes?"

"Okay!" Arizona quickly conceded. "Yay!"

"Yay," Callie chuckled at Arizona's sudden excitement. "See you soon."

* * *

Before Callie even had a chance to knock on the apartment door, the smiley redhead she knew to be April swung the door open. "Callie!" she wrapped her arms around the darker haired woman.

"Hi," Callie answered, slightly alarmed by the sudden hug. She'd only met Arizona's best friend once before, and it had been for mere seconds in a dark, crowded bar.

"Did you eat dinner?" April asked as Callie followed her inside. "We were going to order Chinese." She made a face. "Arizona doesn't really cook, and even _I'm_ getting tired of my casseroles."

At the sound of two pairs of footsteps, Arizona walked out her room and saw April and Callie chatting in the kitchen. As soon as Callie met her eyes, she felt her entire body tingle and dance in a way that was still somehow unfamiliar to her. "Callie," she grinned.

"Arizona," Callie smiled back, her eyes nearly sparkling. Apparently, she had just stood there, staring at Arizona and vice versa for a while, because it took April clearing her throat to snap her out of her reverie.

Callie's head snapped back towards April, and Arizona busied herself in the living room.

"Chinese?" April prompted.

"Oh, yes!" Callie nodded. "I didn't eat, and Chinese food sounds great."

"Great!" April chirped, grabbing her cell phone off the counter. "I'm going to call right now. You can go help Arizona find a movie, if you want...?"

"Right," Callie nodded. She turned towards the living room, where Arizona was bent over a stack of DVDs, giving Callie a perfect view of her butt. She had a really, really good butt.

Ugh! Callie needed to relax. She needed to be a _friend_. But, friends could admire each other's asses, right?

Callie walked towards Arizona and stood beside her. "Are we watching a princess movie?" the disapproval was evident in her voice.

" _No_ ," Arizona insisted pointedly, standing up. "I'm more in the mood for Pixar, but it's your choice."

"Mm, what are my choices?" Callie crossed her arms.

Arizona turned back to the DVDs lying on the coffee table, lining her favorites side by side. "'Toy Story,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'Up,' 'A Bug's Life,' or 'The Incredibles.'"

Callie looked down at the titles. "I've never seen 'A Bug's Life.'"

"No way," Callie and Arizona heard April's surprised voice from the kitchen. "You've never seen it?! You have to see it!"

"Okay!" Callie quickly conceded. "That okay?" she looked at Arizona, who instantly nodded.

April dimmed the lights, and then the three of them sat side-by-side on the couch as the movie began.

Arizona found herself thankful that April was there, chaperoning. Having Callie so close—being able to hear her quiet, sated breathing—was messing with her head.

It made her want to reach out and do something that a _friend_ definitely wouldn't. She knew that Callie would gladly accept any of her advances—after all, the ball was in Arizona's court—but she just wasn't ready to go there yet.

So it was good April was there. She would keep Arizona from trying anything. Hopefully.

When the Chinese food was finally delivered, they didn't stop the movie, opting to eat in the living room.

Arizona watched Callie, whose big brown eyes never strayed from the screen. She watched Callie's features morph into ones of anger and pity as she sympathized with the characters, and Arizona smiled to herself. She'd never met anyone who cared as much as Callie. She'd never met someone so genuinely _good_.

Regretfully, she turned back to the screen before Callie could catch her staring, and soon, the movie was over.

"Did you like it?" April asked eagerly, muting the TV.

"Actually, yeah!" Callie's head bobbed. "I can't believe I've never seen it before. There was some really great political commentary.

April and Arizona blinked at her, their faces blank.

Callie knit her eyebrows together. "You know...because it's an allegory? About colonialism?"

Their expressions didn't change.

Callie frowned. She could've sworn...

"What?" April bugged.

"Um," Callie hesitated. "I thought...I thought the ants might have represented a proletariat native population, and the grasshoppers would be heavily militarized imperialists? It's pushing back against the idea of growing the U.S.'s economic machismo overseas and extending our country's exceptionalism in foreign affairs. I think. And then there's Flick, who seems like a Socratic figure. He made me think of Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave,' and Hopper was just totally tyrannical. There's definitely some philosophical commentary there, too..." Callie paused when she looked at April and Arizona's shocked faces and blushed. "You guys never noticed that?" her voice was small.

Arizona grinned at her, completely in awe. "Calliope, I liked this movie when I was about four. I had no concept of the U.S.'s exceptionalism nor had I read _The Republic_."

Callie's face reddened. "Right."

April just shook her head. "And I have no idea what you just said." She yawned. "But I better sleep." She walked towards Callie, who expected a hug that time and willingly put her arms out.

"It was nice seeing you again, April," Callie smiled as they pulled away.

"You, too," April beamed. "I hope we start seeing each other a lot." She winked at Arizona, who in turn glared at her friend.

Callie wondered what their little interaction meant, but she knew Arizona wouldn't tell her, even if she asked.

"Anyway, goodnight!" April headed towards her room, and when she was gone, Arizona shifted, standing directly in front of Callie. So close. So, so close. Callie could barely function.

"So," Arizona prompted. "What do you wanna do now?"

"I should probably go," Callie admitted, but she regretted saying it as soon as she saw Arizona's face fall.

"Oh," Arizona nodded, attempting to smile. "Okay."

But, man, Callie couldn't stand seeing the blonde without a smile on her face, so she quickly offered, "Want to go get breakfast tomorrow morning? There's a good place a block from my apartment."

Instantly, Arizona dimpled. "Yeah, I do." She bit her bottom lip, and Callie internally shuddered at the idea of _her_ potentially getting to do that one day.

"Meet at my place at nine?" Callie asked eagerly.

"Yes," Arizona nodded. And she looked at her in a strange way that Callie couldn't identify. More than anything, she wished she knew what Arizona was thinking, but she knew that she likely wouldn't until the blonde was ready. Where Callie generally considered herself to be an "open book," Arizona was most definitely a closed book, locked away in a safe, the key kept in a burning building that might kill anyone except the blonde herself.

And Callie wasn't brave enough to ask for the damn key yet. So she settled for walking towards the door in silence, Arizona beside her—not quite touching but close.

Callie paused at the door, turning to Arizona.

As soon as Callie's eyes met hers, Arizona felt her voice catch in her throat. After a long moment, she managed, "I'll see you in the morning."

Callie smiled softly. More than anything, she wanted to wrap her arms around Arizona and kiss that bruised bottom lip, but she didn't. She couldn't. Not if Arizona wasn't ready. "See you."

* * *

When Arizona knocked on Callie's apartment door the next morning (or better said, _pounded_ , seeing as Callie and Cristina were not early risers), it was finally Cristina who answered.

"Oh, it's you again," she deadpanned, leaving the door wide open as she walked back towards her room. On her way, she threw Callie's door open and called, "Get up! McScreamy's here!"

Arizona heard Callie's grumpy groan turn to a "Shit!" when she realized she'd overslept, and Callie immediately scrambled out of bed and rushed towards her.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Arizona smirked, taking in her bed-head and smudged mascara. Her eyes widened, however, as she allowed herself to look down and see that Callie wasn't wearing anything but an oversized white t-shirt and underwear.

Following Arizona's eyes, Callie looked down and saw that, indeed, she wasn't wearing any pants. Which wasn't weird or anything. She could never sleep with pants on. Still, she didn't usually greet guests in her underwear.

"I didn't forget," Callie insisted. "I promise. I must have just turned off my alarm..." she smiled guiltily, and Arizona laughed.

"It's okay. Get dressed. I'll wait."

Callie nodded solemnly and quickly ran back into her room, hoping she wouldn't flash Arizona _too_ much. _Oops_ , she thought. This definitely had not been the plan.

When she finally came back out, looking, you know, clothed and presentable, Arizona looked at her curiously and asked. "Why did Cristina call me _McScreamy_?"

Callie pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. _Damn it, Cristina_. "She was, um, hiding in her room when you came and watched 'Evil Dead.'" Callie smiled kindly at her. "You screamed a lot."

Arizona pouted out her lower lip, a move that never failed to make Callie melt. "Did not."

"You did," Callie grinned. "But it was cute. Come on."

* * *

Arizona's week had been so stressful, busy, and overwhelming that she hadn't so much as had time to sleep, much less hang out with friends. And Callie.

The first bout of midterms were coming up, and on top of that, she had major projects due for all of her art classes: twelve separate photographs demonstrating 'breadth,' a self-portrait painting, a still-life painting, and a pencil drawing demonstrating perspective and movement. Even though it was only Friday afternoon, she felt already felt like she was being crushed by a rock. Or a plane.

Thankfully, though, Alex was coming over soon, and the two of them were going to work on their still-lifes together. That would at least let Arizona check one item off her daunting, seemingly never-ending list. That was something.

And it would let her get to know Alex, who she actually really, really liked. He had a super boyish, assshole-y demeanor on the surface, but once she got to know him, she realized how kind and protective he was underneath. They'd talked about their respective promiscuous high school days and about their families. And they sat beside each other during every "Painting From Life" class, admiring each other's work and learning from each other.

It was a friendship Arizona never would have foreseen, but it was one she was thankful for.

When Alex walked inside, armed with his easel, canvas, and acrylics, he instantly sized up her apartment. "Nice place!" he admired.

"Thanks," Arizona smiled. "So, I wasn't sure what we should draw for our still-lifes." She cringed. "I don't really have anything too interesting."

Alex shrugged amiably and looked around again, this time for inspiration. He looked out the window and grinned. "Dude, it's sunset. We should just paint the whole damn room but make the view outside the centerpiece. What do you think?"

Arizona grinned back, nodding. "Good idea. You go, Karev."

Alex's ears turned red, and he looked down and began setting up his easel suddenly, embarrassed by the warm approval.

Arizona brought them both bowls of water to wash their brushes and set up her own little station beside him.

"You wanna race?" Alex wiggled his eyebrows.

Arizona laughed. "Fine. Whoever does it better, faster wins. Going by Dr. Avery's standards, not our own."

"Done," Alex agreed.

"Okay. Ready, go!"

Each of them began working on their respective canvas. Alex began outlining the pictures on the walls, the couch, and the bookshelf in the background while Arizona started directly on the window in the forefront.

It felt like only minutes later that they heard a knock on the door, but Arizona then realized that the room had gotten dark and the sun had nearly set. "Pause!" she called. "Brushes up. I've gotta get that."

She rushed to the front door. She wasn't expecting anyone, so she figured April must have forgotten her key. When she opened it, though, she saw that it was Callie.

"Hey," Arizona gushed, and Callie's smile expanded at how obviously pleased the blonde was at her surprise visit.

"Hey," Callie held up a pink box. "I know you had a stressful week, and we've barely hung out, so I brought you donuts."

Arizona licked her lips in anticipation. There was almost nothing in this world that she loved more than donuts. Except, perhaps, people who brought her donuts unexpectedly, as she suddenly felt an immeasurable warmth for Callie and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh!" Callie chuckled, surprised but more than happy to receive it. Arizona smelled really, really good.

When Arizona pulled back, she grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

Alex, who had been looking towards the door curiously, grinned salaciously when he recognized Callie.

"Robbins, you got us a model? Nice."

Callie blushed in embarrassment, and Arizona rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Callie, this little butthole is Alex. Karev, this is Callie."

Alex put his hand out for Callie to shake and offered genuinely, "It's nice to officially meet you."

Callie laughed. "You, too." She turned to Arizona. "I should let you guys get back to it...I really just came to bring you donuts."

Alex put his hand up. "Don't go. I'll go."

"No way!" Arizona objected. "I need to kick your ass at this." She looked at Callie. "Please stay. Eat some donuts. I know watching us will probably be boring f—"

"No!" Callie disagreed. "I'd love to watch you work."

"Okay," Arizona dimpled. "You ready to lose, Alex?"

He just snickered. "You're on."

As Arizona and Alex continued working on their still-lifes and eating donuts, Callie stood behind them, just taking in the incredible artistry. Alex was clearly good. She imagined that his painting might actually look good in her apartment; it had the same kinds of colors and the same vibe.

Really, though, Callie was awestruck by the way Arizona painted. She brought her brush to the canvas with a certain level of tenderness and care that hypnotized Callie. And the way the colors in her sunset seemed impossibly bright and beautiful; Callie felt as if she were seeing the pinks, purples, and oranges for the very first time. And the way the rest of the painting was subdued and darker made it obvious that the viewer were to look towards the window and at what was outside, not towards the remainder of the canvas.

Finally, with the sky outside black and the oven clock reading 9:16 p.m., Arizona held up her arms in victory and exclaimed, "Done!"

Alex scowled. "I'm almost done! One sec." He continued highlighting parts of his painting, giving it depth. After a minute, he set down his brush and crossed his arms, assessing Arizona's work.

She looked at him in anticipation, then turned to Callie on her other side. "What do you think?" she could sense the fear in her voice. She had come a long way, but feedback and criticism still terrified her. The mere idea of criticism made her want to cry.

Alex grunted approvingly. "You're going to get an A."

Arizona grinned and bumped his shoulder. "We both will."

He shrugged in agreement.

Arizona looked at Callie again, who still hadn't said anything. "Callie...? Give the artists some feedback?"

Callie smiled at her before turning back to the painting. Somehow, it felt too intimate to look at Arizona while praising her work. She wasn't sure why. "I've never seen something so beautiful."

Arizona sucked in a grateful breath and felt her heart and whole being swell with pride at the sincere words.

Callie looked at Alex. "And, Alex, I would totally buy yours to hang in my apartment."

He grinned. "I'll give you a deal on it after I get my grade back."

Callie smiled. "Sounds good."

Suddenly, Alex couldn't leave fast enough. "I've gotta go, but can I leave my stuff here since it's wet? I can pick it up tomorrow or Sunday?"

"Of course," Arizona agreed, walking him to the door. "Are you sure you don't want to stay longer?" she asked politely, but she knew Alex was knowingly doing her a favor.

"Please," he smirked sarcastically. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he called as he began walking down the hallway.

"That's not saying much!" Arizona called after him, smiling. Man, she appreciated Alex. He was a good friend, and there were moments when he reminded her of Tim. She sighed. _Tim_.

As she walked back inside, she saw that Callie was still admiring her painting.

"You seriously liked it?" Arizona asked vulnerably.

When Callie looked at her, Arizona felt like she was looking _through_ her. Those dark chocolate eyes cut through her like glass, and she felt totally exposed.

"I seriously _loved_ it," Callie assured her. More quietly, she confessed, "And I loved watching you paint."

Arizona's eyes widened.

Callie bit the inside of her cheek. "I find you miraculous." Slowly, she met Arizona's eyes and smiled.

Arizona felt her stomach dip and her hands ache in want. She wanted to reach out and pull Callie into her and kiss her as passionately as she often imagined she would, but she knew she wasn't ready.

Instead, she only smiled back.

* * *

Callie's rehearsal had begun at 6 p.m., and now it was ten. All she wanted was to go home and go to bed, but the director, Webber, was hell-bent on having them stay until they got the number right.

And that wasn't even the worst part. Mark was down with the flu, so Callie had no allies, and the understudies were included at today's rehearsal.

Erica was there.

And she was so close that Callie could see her smirking in _that way she did_ at the guy playing Rolf, who couldn't seem to get the dance number right no matter how many times he tried.

Callie scowled at him for making her stay, and then she scowled at Erica for existing. She knew she should be happy about having an amazing role in an amazing musical at an amazing school that she loved, but today, she wasn't even close. She was pissed, because Erica's existence was raining on her parade.

She needed to get out of there before Erica, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West Coast (according to Mark) or just WWWC, tried anything else.

But, with a sigh, Callie knew that she wasn't totally wicked. People were more complex than that, and she knew for a fact that Erica was. Still, as much as she was known for being compassionate and forgiving people, she knew that what Erica did was, without a doubt, evil, and Callie didn't want to let her off the hook. She'd done that too many times before.

So, yeah. She would only acknowledge her as WWWC from now on. Internally, anyway.

"And CUT," she heard Webber call from off stage. "Great job. You nailed it this time. You're all free to go. See you all tomorrow."

Callie nodded and hurried to pack up her things and go home.

Before she looked up, she could already feel a presence beside her, and she felt her stomach dip.

She knew who it was. The WWWC herself, of course. Callie didn't even bother to look up.

"Callie," Erica stated, too strongly to be a plea.

"WHAT?" Callie barked, standing up.

Erica crossed her arms. "Oh, so you're just going to pretend everything's over between us?" Her voice was calm.

Aware of the people nearby, Callie whisper yelled, "I'm not pretending! Everything _is_ over between us."

"Since when?"

"Um, I don't know, maybe since I found out that you fucking stole my work and passed it off as your own!"

At those words, Callie heard Erica's gulp.

"We're done," Callie spat. "I loved you, and you betrayed me. You cheated."

"I didn't cheat on you," Erica specified, as if that somehow made what she'd done less severe.

"No," Callie agreed. "But you plagiarized. Your own girlfriend. And I deserve someone a hell of a lot better than you. So stop looking at me. Stop getting near me. Stop trying to talk to me."

"Callie..." Now Erica was begging.

"NO!" Callie was quick to stop her. "Get this through your head: My lack of interest in seeing you is not a strategy. I'm not playing hard to get. You're untrustworthy, so I don't want to see you. You're self-centered, so I don't want to see you. I am a hundred percent certain that if I let you back in my life again you will hurt me again, so I don't want to see you. This isn't a ploy. I'm not pouting. I don't want you in my life!"

She looked pointedly at Erica, who was now speechless, her mouth agape. It was an expression Callie didn't recognize, as her ex-girlfriend had never been at a loss for words before.

"I'm interested in someone else, anyway," Callie concluded. And with that, she stalked away.

* * *

Callie slammed the door as soon as she walked inside.

"Tough day?" Cristina asked from perch on the couch.

"Erica," Callie grumbled, flopping down in the chair beside her.

"Oh no," Cristina sympathized, immediately setting aside her homework. "What'd she do?"

"Talked to me," Callie huffed, crossing her arms. "She didn't think we were over."

"What? How could she not?"

"I don't know!" Callie threw her arms into the air. "She's insane!"

"Damn right," Cristina agreed. "So what are we gonna do? Get her kicked out of school? Ruin her reputation? Tell me!"

"No," Callie sighed, trying to calm down. "We are going to keep being the bigger people and just ignore her mercilessly."

"I can do that," Cristina agreed. "Still, wouldn't it be more fun to sabotage her?"

Callie leveled a warning look at her roommate, and Cristina put her hands up. "Alright, alright," she conceded. "I won't do anything sabotagical until you give me the go."

"'Sabotagical'?" Callie smirked.

Cristina waved her off. "Whatever. You knew what I meant."

Callie leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Talking to Erica had just dredged up so many awful feelings, and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. She knew that breaking down was inevitable no matter what, and so she opted to take a shower so that Cristina at least wouldn't have to listen to her sob.

She stepped into the scalding hot water and let the tears finally fall. They weren't over Erica. Erica wasn't worth crying over. They were, however, over what Erica had done to her. They were over her parents practically disowning her because they didn't think her dream was valid. They were over tough classes and loneliness and all of it.

By the time Callie finally got out of the shower, her eyes were swollen and her face was red. Today just felt...too hard. And she didn't know what to make her feel better. She couldn't think of anything that might ameliorate the situation.

And maybe, there wasn't some _thing_ that could make her feel better. Walking into her room, though, Callie realized that maybe some _one_ could.

Because there, sitting on her bed in all her beautiful blonde glory: was Arizona Robbins.

"Hey...?" Callie sniffled, her tone rising in surprise and curiosity.

Immediately, Arizona jumped and set down the book she had been flipping through. Callie looked at the title: _The Secret Life of Bees_. It had been lying on her bedside table; it was her absolute favorite read.

"Hey—" Arizona began in greeting, then caught a look at Callie's face, her own expression turning grave. "Callie," she breathed worriedly, suddenly feeling her stomach clench at seeing the brunette's pained face.

"What, um," Callie pulled her towel around her more tightly, wishing she had a sheet or, like, building to hide behind. _What was Arizona even doing there_? "What are you doing here?"

Arizona attempted to smile. "Cristina called. She was worried." Arizona looked down and began picking at her paint-covered cuticles, suddenly self-conscious. _What_ was _she doing there?_

"Oh," Callie nodded, as if that made any sense at all. But it didn't. Because, although Cristina cared—in her way—she had never called one of Callie's friends to come over before. She generally stayed out of Callie's business, and Callie didn't mind that. And, also, even if Cristina _had_ called, why would Arizona have come?

"I'm," Callie cleared her throat. "I've gotta get dressed."

"Right!" Arizona exclaimed, as if she were suddenly being pulled from deep contemplation. "I'll be out there." She quickly headed out the door and towards where Cristina was still stationed in the living room.

Callie quickly changed into yoga pants and a sports bra and t-shirt—something presentable but still comfortable to wear this late at night—and paused before throwing her door open to let Arizona back in.

Because what was she supposed to say? "Hey, I'm having a breakdown because Erica broke my heart once upon a time, and now I'm kind-of-sort-of-totally falling for you, but I can't say it because we're just 'friends'?" Was she just supposed to spill her heart out? She would in front of Addison, sure, and she would in front of her girlfriend, if she had one.

But Arizona was neither her good friend nor her girlfriend. She was something more and something in between. Something indefinable. So what was Callie supposed to do?

Hesitantly, she opened her door, and Arizona immediately caught her eye and excused herself, ambling back towards Callie's room.

After she walked in and sat back down on the bed (man, Callie loved that Arizona was on her bed), Callie closed the door. "You really didn't have to come."

Arizona bit her bottom lip and attempted to catch Callie's eye. "I wanted to. Cristina said you had a rough day."

"I did," Callie admitted. "But it's not your job to take care of me." Callie's tone came out harsher than she had intended, but she couldn't help it. She was pissed at the whole day—she felt like she was fighting her life, constantly—and Arizona was here, in her warzone.

In an attempt to occupy her still nervous, overcharged hands, Callie worked at picking up her room, slamming drawers open and shut as she waited for Arizona's slow response.

From the corner of her eye, Callie caught Arizona nodding patiently. "I know it's not my job, but we're friends, right? And friends are there for each other."

"Right," Callie sighed, almost scoffing. She was tired of being _friends_. Today, she was tired of it.

She wanted more.

Arizona pursed her lips. She heard the passive aggressiveness in Callie's voice, and she opted to ignore it. She already knew that Callie wanted to be more than friends. So did Arizona. Kind of. She thought she did, but everything was just so messed up in her head. Callie made her feel things—Arizona knew that—good things, in fact. But, still. She just didn't know if she was ready to let Callie in. She didn't know if she was ready to open up her heart again. And she didn't know if she was ready to be enough—to be what Callie deserved.

"Sit down and talk to me," Arizona uncrossed her legs and patted the space on her bed beside her. She had worked to make it sound like a request, but Callie knew that it was an order and regretfully sat beside her.

This wasn't helping. It wouldn't help. Already, she felt worse. Because here Arizona was—the woman Callie really, really liked—mere inches from her. And Callie couldn't do anything. She couldn't ask for anything or fall into her arms. Could she? Because they weren't together. They were nothing, according to Arizona. Right?

Arizona could feel Callie's warmth emanating off her, and it made her head spin. _Soldier up, Arizona. Come on_ , she thought. Now was definitely not the time to make a move, especially because she wasn't sure what would happen long term. She wasn't sure she was ready. And she didn't want to hurt Callie worse by sending mixed signals.

She tilted her head and looked at the woman beside her so intensely that Callie swore Arizona could see straight into her soul. "Tell me what happened today."

Callie shook her head, looking down at her lap. "It wasn't a big deal. It's not even worth hearing about."

Arizona tried in vain to meet Callie's eyes. "If someone hurt you, it's worth hearing about."

Callie finally looked up at Arizona, shuddering at the blatant care and concern in her voice. She felt her heart beat faster.

But when Callie still didn't make a move to say anything, Arizona put her hand on the small of her back as a means of encouragement, and Callie stiffened before relaxing into the warm touch.

Finally, she sighed and admitted, "Erica Hahn was my girlfriend. Last year."

Arizona's eyes widened, but she said nothing. Erica had come up only once before, and only for a second. Then, she had sensed that Callie didn't like her, but she'd had no idea that Erica was even gay. Erica was pretty well known at the school, being a senior and in most of the theatrical productions. Arizona had never particularly cared for her, though. She just always seemed to be a bit cold, abrupt, and just generally unkind. So picturing warm, patient, kind Callie dating her was nearly impossible.

"We were together for, like, six months," Callie continued. "She was the first person I loved. And we were going to go to this summer program at Julliard together, and started applying to it together and everything."

Callie was giving her the abridged version of the story, and Arizona was thankful. Picturing Callie _loving_ Erica made her feel sick. Which was stupid. But, still, it was how she felt. "What happened?"

Callie began playing with a loose thread on the bottom hem of her t-shirt. She shrugged. "I didn't end up making enough money for it, so I didn't apply, and she did. Except she applied using _my_ personal statement."

Arizona sucked in a quick breath. If anyone had ever tried passing off her art as their own, she'd probably insist that they be burned at the stake. She couldn't imagine how Callie could stand seeing the lying cheater at rehearsal all the time.

"And I know it's not a huge deal," Callie quickly backtracked, looking at Arizona. "Some people get cheated on, and all Erica did was lie about—"

Before she could finish, Arizona interrupted, "Callie, don't minimize your pain. Getting cheated on is awful—trust me—but Erica betrayed you, too."

Callie nodded. "Yeah, well, she talked to me today and tried to make it seem like everything was fine and like I was the bad guy for being mad. So that's why I'm mad. And because of what she did."

Arizona nodded and whispered, "Okay." She paused. "I'm mad at her, too."

Callie chuckled. "Why?"

"Because she hurt you," Arizona admitted candidly. "And I automatically hate anyone who hurts you."

And at that confession, Callie could no longer function. Because, there Arizona was, sitting on Callie's bed, rubbing her back, looking into her eyes, saying she hated anyone who hurt her, and they were still only friends. Why did Arizona have to _do_ that? Callie couldn't handle it.

And this time, it was Callie's frustration at her situation with Arizona that broke the dam and caused her tears to fall.

"Callie?" Arizona questioned as tears began to fall from Callie's eyes. "What's wrong? What can I do?"

Callie shook her head. "I'm— Fine," she choked out. She stood up and began pacing. What the hell was she doing? What was wrong with her?

Arizona stood up, her arms slightly raised and her palms up, as if she were waiting for something to fall into them. Some answers, maybe.

Arizona knit her eyebrows together. "Callie...? What can I do?" she repeated.

"Nothi—" Callie began, continuing to pace, when suddenly she tripped over her eight-pound free weights and ended up on the floor. She didn't bother to get up, only tucking her knees into her chest and sobbing into them. She couldn't help herself. She hurt. Everything hurt.

Arizona was at a loss. She had little experience with criers. Her dad had taught her to be stoic, and her mom only cried when she was happy. April cried a lot, but over small things, and Arizona always knew how to help her.

She wasn't sure how to help Callie.

Finally, she sat on the floor beside the brunette and did the only thing that felt right: she wrapped her arms around Callie and pulled her into her. Arizona imagined she'd hate someone saying "It's okay" if she were crying, so she opted to stay silent as Callie brought her arms around Arizona's back and cried into her chest.

Callie didn't know what she as doing, but she somehow felt better in Arizona's arms. Which didn't make sense, because she was crying over not being close enough to the person she was now close to. Really, intimately close to, in a more-than-friends way. Which just confused her more.

Because they were more than friends. Right? They had to be. This was more than friendly. But Arizona trying so hard to bury her feelings was breaking Callie's heart from the inside out.

Oblivious to the source of Callie's pain, Arizona carded her fingers through black hair and closed her eyes. It was strange, but she somehow felt her own personal anguish at seeing Callie in pain. She couldn't stand it. She would have done anything to stop it.

By the time Callie's sobs turned to the occasional hiccup, she was embarrassed. She had just cried over Arizona _on_ Arizona. The whole situation was ridiculous.

She shifted, reclaiming her arms and pulling back slightly. Arizona, in turn, extracted herself from Callie and looked at her face. "Are you going to be okay?"

Callie could only offer a sad smile. "Yeah." And she would be, as soon as Arizona figured out what she wanted. Which was a conversation they needed to have at some point (preferably, before Callie went totally bonkers), but it didn't have to happen that night.

"Do you want me to stay?" Arizona offered, still worried.

Callie shook her head. "I'm good. I promise."

Arizona's eyes probed her face, which apparently was sufficiently convincing, because she stood up before offering Callie a hand. "Okay," she nodded, her hand still holding Callie's tightly. "I guess I should go."

Callie nodded. "Guess so."

And Arizona knew that Callie wanted space and that she should turn around and make herself disappear, but it felt like something had shifted in Callie, and she was scared of what would happen if she left now. She was scared of what she'd wake up to in the morning...how their relationship would be different.

Callie suddenly seemed guarded, and she had always been so open with Arizona.

Arizona sighed, squeezing Callie's hand as she let go. "Can I call you tomorrow?" she asked meekly.

At this, Callie smiled. She didn't want to, but man. How could she not? The woman she liked wanted to call her. It was a small victory but a victory nevertheless. "Yeah," she agreed again, quietly.

Arizona sighed. She really, really didn't want to leave like this, but what other choice did she have? "Okay," she started backing towards the door. "I'll call you," she promised.

"Yeah," was all Callie had the energy to answer.

* * *

Arizona had been on edge all week. Since that strange night with Callie, things had felt...different. Their phone call had been short and awkward, and they hadn't talked since: nearly a week had passed.

And Arizona was finding that she missed her. She loved being with Callie; it was her favorite part of every day. She felt like she could really be herself with the brunette, and everything was just _right_ with her.

But it had been nearly a week since Arizona had seen her, so instead, everything felt so, so wrong.

"Maybe you should call her," April suggested, as they ate breakfast on Friday morning.

"Maybe she should call me," Arizona pouted. She knew she sounded like a lovesick prepubescent twelve year old, but the thought of calling Callie and having another awkward, painful conversation made her feel sick to her stomach. Anyway, she had called last time. Wasn't it Callie's turn?

April rolled her eyes. "You've been in a funk all week. Can we please go to Joe's tonight?"

Arizona was about to refuse when she noticed a new text on her phone that she hadn't seen.

Callie.

 **Hey, I'm going to Joe's at ten with some friends in case you and April want to come?**

Arizona grinned and showed April the text. So, fine, Callie's tone was still a little formal and off, but she had invited Arizona. That meant something, right? She was trying. "Going to Joe's sounds like an excellent idea."

* * *

As Callie, Cristina, and Addison strolled into the familiar dark bar, Addison immediately said, "Callie, you get the first round, and I'll get the next few. I really, really need to pee." She hurried off to the bathroom, and Cristina smirked before conceding, "I do, too, actually," following the redhead towards the back of the bar.

Callie sat down at a bar stool, ordered five shots of tequila, and sighed. Initially, she'd thought that it would be a good idea to invite Arizona, but now she just wasn't sure.

It wasn't that she didn't like the blonde—it definitely, _definitely_ wasn't that. But all Arizona's "we're just friends, but I'm going to do all these girlfriendy things" was wearing Callie down. She couldn't stand the constant reminder of her and Arizona _almost_ being something.

Almost wasn't good enough. Callie wanted all of Arizona. She didn't want to settle for anything less.

"Callie?" Callie heard from behind her, and she turned around.

The blonde woman offered a shy smile, but Callie was not endeared. It was Erica.

Callie turned away from her. "Was I not clear the other day?"

Erica sat down at the stool beside her. "You were clear." She paused. "I owe you an apology."

Callie looked up, and Erica sighed.

"I'm sorry I took your personal statement," Erica began. "I know I shouldn't have done it, and I really messed up."

"You did," Callie agreed, no evident signs of forgiveness in her voice.

Erica nodded in understanding. "But I want another shot."

Callie's eyes bugged out. " _What_?"

Erica shrugged self-consciously. "It's not like I'll do it again. And we loved each other once, right? Feelings don't just go away. We should try again."

Callie was shocked by this sudden turn of events. "No."

As their conversation continued, from across the room, Arizona spotted Callie. She spotted Callie...talking to Erica.

Instantly, she rushed towards them, not sure whether she was planning on defending Callie or just on finding out what was going on; she just knew that she wanted to be near her.

As she got closer, she heard Callie's voice, unusually harsh, insist, "I said no. I'm not interested in trying again. I just want you to leave me the hell alone."

Erica was asking Callie out? After everything? No way. She rushed up to Callie and put a gentle arm around her back. "Callie!" she greeted, as if she'd been looking for the brunette everywhere. "Are you ready for our date?"

Despite the fact that Callie wasn't drinking anything, she choked at hearing that statement because WHAT?

Arizona leaned in, so close to her that Callie's senses were suddenly overcome by only Arizona. "Go with it," she whispered.

After a moment, Callie managed to stutter out, "R— right." She looked at Erica. "We better go." She stood up.

And, seeing Erica's shocked silence, Arizona couldn't help herself but taunt the woman a little more. She slid her hand down and intertwined her fingers with Callie's. "Come on." As they turned, she waved at Erica, "Have a great night!"

Then it was Callie who dragged them outside. Once they were on the deserted sidewalk, she began pacing, as she always did when stressed.

"Calliope...?" Arizona worried. "Sorry if that was out of line. You just looked like you needed help with Erica and I—"

Callie shook her head. "It's fine. I should go."

" _Hey_!" What was going on with her? Arizona pulled Callie's arm back, and when she let go, Callie could still feel where her warm, soft hand had been. "What's wrong? What are you thinking?"

Callie leveled a look at her then told her the truth. "You can't just _do_ that!"

Arizona was taken aback. "Do what?"

"You can't just come here and defend me from by ex-girlfriend by pretending to be my current girlfriend! You can't hold my hand and come over late at night because my roommate tells you I'm sad, and you can't be all supportive when you do!"

Arizona knit her eyebrows together. What. The. Hell?

Callie sighed in defeat. "Arizona, you can't be halfway in. I can't stand having you so close but not _having you_. I'm tired of being your friend when I want so much more."

Arizona released a shallow exhale, her breath shuddering. "Callie, I can't just—just—be with you, just like that. I want to, but—"

"But what?" Callie put out her arms in defeat. What was it? What was the Big Thing holding Arizona back from feeling anything?

Arizona sighed. She didn't even know. "I like you. I do. I have since I met you, and those feelings haven't gone away, and I want to be with you!"

Callie rolled her eyes. If Arizona really wanted to be with her, she would be. It was that simple.

"I do!" Arizona insisted. She lowered her voice. "I really do."

Callie sighed. She still didn't get it.

"Callie," Arizona continued. "It's not that I don't want...you. And more with you. It's just that you make me feel—"

"SO LET ME!" Callie exploded, her voice rising in desperation. She looked at Arizona's widened eyes and repeated more softly, "Let me. Let me make you feel. All of it. You're scared you'll get hurt, and I get that, but is that worth sacrificing all the good feelings, too, by not even bothering to try?"

When Arizona didn't make a move to respond, Callie answered her own question. "Of course it's not, because the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. And when I inevitably do, the _first_ thing I'll want to do is make it right." She sighed and confessed, "Arizona, I've never felt this way about anyone."

Arizona's heart, which had been overworking for the entirety of their conversation, suddenly sped up. She inhaled shakily, then admitted, "I've never felt this way about anyone, either. And that terrifies me."

Callie shrugged and offered a small smile. "We could keep trying to bury our feelings, or we could just go for it and be terrified together."

Arizona nodded. Callie was right. She _had_ been burying her feelings, and it wasn't fun. She wanted to be with Callie and to _be_ with Callie. She needed to take this risk. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's do that."

Callie felt her heart take off in her chest, but she refused to breathe until she was sure she understood what Arizona was saying. "Let's do what?"

Arizona licked her lips, suddenly a little self-conscious. More than that, though, she was ecstatic. This was what she'd been wanting but had been too afraid to admit. "Let's be together."

* * *

 **This chapter was super Callie/Arizona (together) centric, and I didn't really give background on Callie/Arizona individually, so I'm sorry about that. I just really wanted them to make progress towards each other this chapter, and it took some work for them to get there!**

 **Let me know what you think! Reviews are always soOOO appreciated. :)**

 **ETA: And for everyone who's been asking about their ages, both Callie and Arizona are currently 20.**

 **They met in early January (after Winter Break), Callie turned 20 in February, and it's now mid-to-late March. She's a sophomore in college.**

 **AZ will turn 21 in July, and she's a junior.**

 **Hope that cleared some stuff up, and thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Callie shrugged and offered a small smile. "We could keep trying to bury our feelings, or we could just go for it and be terrified together."_

 _Arizona nodded. Callie was right. She had been burying her feelings, and it wasn't fun. She wanted to be with Callie and to be with Callie. She needed to take this risk. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's do that."_

 _Callie felt her heart take off in her chest, but she refused to breathe until she was sure she understood what Arizona was saying. "Let's do what?"_

 _Arizona licked her lips, suddenly a little self-conscious. More than that, though, she was ecstatic. This was what she'd been wanting but had been too afraid to admit. "Let's be together."_

* * *

"So...What now?" Callie asked, her voice a mixture of anxiety and unguarded joy.

Arizona shrugged nervously, but she couldn't help the sudden relief she felt. For the last few months, as much as she feared it, she had wanted to _be_ with Callie; she felt like she had now finally stopped forbidding herself from opening herself up to love: to giving _and_ receiving it.

And it felt good.

"We go back inside and let our friends know that we're ditching them for each other?" Arizona suggested, a wry smile taking over her face.

Callie wanted to feel bad about ditching Addison and Cristina, but she just couldn't. Because, come on, as of a minute ago, _she and Arizona Leigh Robbins were freakin' together_.

Callie felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning.

Okay, so she also felt like a cliché. But she didn't care.

A dazzling smile overtook Callie's face and she began nodding maniacally. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Arizona chuckled at Callie's ill-hidden enthusiasm, but she found that she felt the very same way.

Callie held out her hand to Arizona and was overjoyed when the blonde took it without hesitation. The two women raced back inside, finding Addison, Cristina, and April sitting together, with Cristina happily downing tequila and Addison and April searching for their friends.

When Callie and Arizona walked up to them, Addison looked at their faces, puzzled. Then, she looked at their hands—still clasped—and gave Callie a knowing, libidinous smile.

Impulsively, Callie announced, "So we're girlfriends."

"Wait, _what_?" Cristina questioned.

"Finally!" April exclaimed, hoping up and down in her seat.

"Callie!" Arizona chided, her face suddenly hot and beet red. She was generally a more private person. She would have told April, of course, but at home, and not quite so publicly.

"And we're going out," Callie continued, "Just the two of us. So, see you at home later." And with that, she began walking her and a still-pink Arizona back towards the exit.

"If you even come home!" Addison called teasingly after them.

* * *

Once they were back outside, Arizona stopped suddenly. "Callie, wait."

Callie froze. Her stomach dropped to her feet. Had Arizona changed her mind?

"What?" she asked, and her voice was only a mouse's squeak.

"Where are we going?" Arizona asked.

"Oh," Callie frowned. "I guess I hadn't thought of that yet."

Arizona smiled. "Good. Because there's a place I've been wanting to take you."

And Callie smiled back. Because Arizona was really in this. She was done being scared. She was just as willing to make this happen as Callie.

"Where is it?" Callie asked.

In lieu of an answer, Arizona turned at the street corner and began walking, pulling Callie along behind her.

"You'll see," she vowed mysteriously.

It was an uncharacteristically warm night for late March, and that, coupled with the elation bubbling up inside Callie with this change in her and Arizona's relationship left Callie unusually hyper.

She hurried ahead of Arizona, running up the seemingly endless incline. "Come on! Hurry! I want to see this place!"

Arizona laughed. "I promise you it will be worth it." She held out her hand towards Callie, who was now ten feet ahead of her. "Come back here. I liked holding your hand." She smiled shyly.

"Fine," Callie attempted to pout upon conceding, but really, how could she? She was holding her best friend's—her person's—her _girlfriend's_ hand!

And they were kinda sorta totally going on their first date, right? Finally.

"It's just up this path," Arizona broke the silence after a few minutes of comfortable hiking. They were far from the bar, the school, and the city now. They were up in the hills, surrounded by trees and drizzling fog.

"Oh," Callie panted, "Kay." She paused to take a breath, turning towards the way they had come.

"No!" Arizona quickly jumped up and covered Callie's eyes with her hands. "No peeking."

"What?!" Callie laughed. "Seriously?"

"Yes, Calliope, _seriously_ ," Arizona insisted. "You have to walk up this last part with your eyes closed. It's a surprise."

"Fiiiiine," Callie huffed, but Arizona knew that she wasn't really complaining.

Slowly and carefully, Arizona led them up the path and to the top of the ridge. And, just as she'd hoped, the spot looked exactly as it had the last time she'd been there.

It had been her secret spot since her freshman year, and she was terrified of other students or people discovering it.

In fact, she had been so determined to keep it a secret that she'd never taken anyone up there; not even April.

That is, until Callie.

When Arizona was satisfied with the view from where she and Callie were standing, she removed her hands from over Callie's eyes and moved to her side to stare at her reaction.

She felt herself smile as she saw that Callie's eyes were still closed, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

This felt right. Being with Callie—being open to _being with_ Callie—it felt right.

"Open your eyes," Arizona whispered.

Slowly, Callie did, and Arizona watched the way those expressive eyes took in the panoramic view in front of her.

Callie wasn't sure what exactly she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been this. Arizona had led them a mile uphill to a grassy knoll surrounded by maple trees and, more evidently, what looked to be all of New York.

"Wow," Callie breathed. In the clear, black air, all she could see were the bright lights that outlined the place she now called home.

From here, she could see everything: the dorms she'd stayed in the year before, the school's theatre, Joe's Bar, the skyscrapers in the distance, old Victorian houses, a myriad of worn brick buildings the city was known for, a body of water in the distance, and roads and freeways with cars zooming by: so fast and so far away that they looked as if they were merely twinkling lights.

"Wow," Callie repeated, unable to avert her eyes from the surreal sight before her.

Arizona smiled. "You like it?"

Callie turned to her, her eyes reflecting bright white lights and an adolescent sense of wonder. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Arizona's smile grew wider. "Yeah," she breathed. "My secret spot. I've been wanting to take you here for a while."

"Your secret spot?" Callie intoned.

"Yeah," Arizona shrugged, embarrassed. "You know, my spot. No one else really knows about it."

Callie bit the inside of her cheek. On their first night as a couple (right?), had Arizona brought Callie to her safe haven? "No one but me?" she asked, her voice high and hopeful.

Arizona blushed. She hadn't expected Callie to have read her so well. To have...made such a big deal about it. She should have known, though. Callie had always read her well—surprisingly so. And celebrating that Arizona had taken her there...that was just _so Callie_. Her voice a soft whisper, Arizona finally replied, "Now, it can be _our_ secret spot."

Callie broke into the biggest smile Arizona had ever seen, and she positively melted. She really, really, _really_ liked this woman. "Okay?" Arizona asked.

Callie nodded enthusiastically, her intense eyes never straying from Arizona's. "Okay."

* * *

As they sat side-by-side on the bench at the viewpoint, taking in each other's warmth and the night that surrounded them, Callie couldn't help but yawn. It had been a tough week, after all.

"Are you tired?" Arizona asked, her voice laced with concern. "We can go."

Callie shook her head. "I wanna stay here. I like it here."

Arizona laughed. "We could always come back tomorrow. I like it here, too."

Callie looked at into the playful blue eyes taking her in, and she felt her heart beat faster. "No, I mean, yes, I love this spot. But I meant this moment. Being _here_. This. You and me right now." She sounded like an idiot. What was she even saying? Her heart was going to explode.

Arizona broke into a slow smile, and all she could suddenly think about was how much she loved this woman.

 _Wait_.

No. What? It was too soon. All she could suddenly think about was how much she _liked_ this woman. Right? She couldn't love Callie yet. She _liked_ her. A lot, sure, but that was it. Right?

"That's what I meant," Arizona clarified. "Here," she enveloped Callie's strong, soft hand in her own. "We're going to close our eyes, and when I say to open them, we will, and we'll enjoy the moment and the view for two minutes. Then we'll go."

Callie raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Arizona gave her a mock-menacing look. The brunette smiled and closed her eyes, and Arizona quickly followed.

"Okay. Three, two, one, open," Arizona narrated, their eyes shooting open and relishing in the contrast of the black night and the bright lights. The contrast of the cold night and each other's warm bodies, sitting beside each other.

After Arizona felt confident that two minutes had passed, she looked at Callie, squeezing her hand.

Callie met her eyes and gave her a curious look. "Why exactly did we just do that?"

Arizona self-consciously ran a hand through her blonde hair. "You'll laugh."

"I won't," Callie vowed.

Arizona bit the inside of her cheek, gauging Callie's sincerity before she continued. "I just, um, you know how some people say that right after you die, you have seven minutes of brain activity?"

Callie kept her gaze.

"And _some people say_ that, during those seven minutes, your entire life flashes before your eyes. You know, your entire life plays for you like a fast-forward movie."

Callie nodded, waiting for the punch line.

"Well," Arizona paused. "I was just thinking that, if that's true, I, um," she paused.

"I'd want _this_ moment to last."

* * *

Callie felt a sudden wave of love wash over her. _Love_. Which was crazy. She knew it was crazy. But she was the kind of person who could fall hard and fast for just about anyone.

Which meant that she was definitely falling hard and fast for Arizona. Because—when she said stuff like that—Callie was certain that Arizona was the most magnificent person she'd ever known.

When Callie just continued to stare at her, Arizona deftly removed her fingers from her _girlfriend's_ clasp and covered her face with her hands. "I told you it was stupid," came her muffled voice. "Stop looking at me."

Callie chuckled and slung her arm around the blonde's shoulders. She couldn't help but notice how amazing it felt to be able to do that.

"It's _not_ stupid," Callie promised. "Please stop hiding."

Slowly, Arizona looked up at her from between her fingertips. Seeing the sincerity in Callie's eyes, she straightened and put her hands in her lap.

"You're staring at me," she stated, her tone worried.

Callie nodded. "This is true. You know what else is true?" A sharp gust of wind blew, giving both women that amazing, childish, delightful feeling of being on top of the world.

"What?" Arizona asked, jokingly playing along as her hair blew around her face.

Callie tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Arizona's ear, not wanting anything to obscure her view from Arizona's perfect face. "You're beautiful."

And, as a surprised smile and soft blush colored Arizona's face, Callie knew her words were truer than ever.

"Come on," she grinned. "I'll walk you home."

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter's so short! I haven't updated in forever, so I wanted to at least give you all** _ **something**_ **. I hope you like it.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


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